Resident Evil : The Hidden Files
by Timeko
Summary: Rumors surface of Sherry Birkin, thought to be the only Birkin left alive, having the only type of DNA that is immune to all variations of the G-virus, of which her father created. Based on the RE CG movies. M - language, violence, suggestive scenes
1. Chapter 1

**A Sign for the Worst**

Apart from having been walking for the last hundred miles, the sultry rays of the sun refused mercy upon the figure that hugged the lonely and downtrodden road. Beads of sweat crawled down weather-beaten skin, collecting at the base of a pair of leather aerial goggles. Deep huffs matched with heavy steps, the godforsaken torridity making it harder and harder to continue. Along with the figure, another lay strewn across it's back, lifeless and snoozing contently as arms wrapped loosely around a covered neck. Tiny feet adorned with worn sneakers dangled from under it's arms, along with a small duffel bag and two pouches along it's waist. Spiky caramel hair tossed in the gusts of wind that chased after the two, giving them both small moments of relief from the sweltering walk. They had both been through a lot, and it was quickly catching up to them. Just as they began to reach their next mile, the figure walking collapsed to the dusty turf, falling flat as the cargo tumbled with them.

Bright blue eyes shot open as they met with the asphalt, a startled Sherry quickly sat up, looking down at her fallen protector as she straddled the unconscious body. In a quick panic, she began shaking it violently, starting to feel the deep sense of fear slowly overcome her. Light sandy locks fell around her forehead, catching in her forming tears. "Rae...Rae get up..Please get up.." She cried, pushing the figure over, the loose shabby clothing hugging lovingly to slender female features. It was no use. Growing more and more desperate by the second, the young woman fought against her trepidation and pulled an arm over her shoulder, attempting to carry the comatose body. Her eyes searched wildly around the bitter wasteland of field and forest, spotting only a tiny black tower in the horizon that had to be at least ten to fifteen miles away. Forcing a sense of willpower, she fought to drag her lethargic friend and continue on their path, hoping someone might come along. Someone. Anyone..

Barry Burton had just topped off his second cup of coffee that morning, returning to his post. A small window in his office overlooked the south end of the outskirts of the city of Oaksdale. It wasn't much, but it was good enough for what the society had to offer. The only thing he'd been thankful for was the working air conditioning and faithful coffee maker. Serving as a sort of watchmen for the outskirts of town wasn't the most glamorous job they could give him, but it certainly passed the time. With all the terrorist attacks on the main cities, it was becoming more of a chivalric duty to watch for any suspicious beings trying to enter town. Taking a seat back at his desk, he sat his coffee mug down and returned to his work on one of his signature guns, continuing to clean the hammer parts. It had become a great hobby, as this job didn't bring too much excitement. As he finished reconstructing the firearm, he pointed it towards the window, aiming at nothing. _'Too bad I won't be able to try it out anytime soon..huh?' _His eyes caught movement, spotting two figures, one looking to be a female that had to be in her early twenties sporting a pink vest. She seemed to be carrying another person. "What in the hell.." Picking up his radio he quickly dialed in to the main office, still staring at the seemingly struggling duo. "Yeah, I got a youngin' headin' our way with another that seems to be wounded...can't tell from the visual from here, I'm gonna go check it out.." As he got the O.K., he locked and loaded before departing from his perch, still wondering just what was going on, and furthermore, if this was a good idea.

Sherry fought hard against her friend's weight, her weak knees trying to give into the heavy mass she carried. After all Rae had done for her, she couldn't just leave her. She only hoped the upcoming city would give them a spot to relax and catch their breath. Sherry could tell Rae was exhausted, and after all that, she couldn't blame her. They'd had no water, food, or sleep for the past few days, and it was starting to tear them down. She had managed to gain a few more hundred feet from where they first had fallen, only to have her knees buckle under the pressure and have them meeting the dusty road again face to face. Some of their spoils had rolled across the ground, scattering upon impact. She felt her eyes grow heavy, trying to pick up her head but failing. Sherry turned her head to look at Rae as she lay next to her, beaten and bruised. She struggled to stay awake, grabbing on to Rae's hand and holding tightly. She could feel vibrations in the ground as something heavy approached them, hearing a car's brakes scrape the tires and the dirt shift under the weight. Her sight soon turned to black, and she let go of all conscious thought, fading into a forced sleep. "Rae...don't..give up.."

"_Dr. Stolk to room 492, Stolk to 492.." _A fuzzy intercom message broke a pleasant and much needed rest as two bright blue orbs caught the visual of a small white room. As it slowly came into view, a shift of weight caused an ounce of sharp pain, but felt the slight tug of new bandages hug against solid muscles. Rae attempted sitting up, ignoring the strain on her patch job. Her muscular upper body had been completely covered with bandages, and random stitches. _'They really went all out..' _She forced a soft grin, gliding a hand down her chest, feeling the constriction of the bandages against her battle scars. They had almost completely fixed all of the new ones she had gotten as she scanned her upper body, looking at the patching job next to all the other scars that peppered and striped her skin. She couldn't be more thankful, but to whom. An older, husky male had entered her room, and from what she could tell, he wasn't a doctor. He sported a red hunting vest, and brown cargo pants with rips here and there. He held a steaming styrofoam cup in one hand and a thick newspaper in the other. They had locked eyes, Rae scanning him from behind her goggles.

"Well, I was wonderin' when you were gonna come out of that small coma, heh..had the whole staff worried there for a bit.." Barry took a seat at the end of the young woman's bed, setting his coffee down and laying the paper next to her feet. He had a gentle grin hidden beneath all that red fur. "You hungry?" He questioned, his peripheral vision catching some nurses distributing today's lunch to some patients down the hall. "The stuff here ain't too bad, but if you make a good recovery we'll see about getting' you ladies a cheeseburger or somethin' later.." He chuckled, grabbing the paper and unfolding it with one swift flick of the wrists.

That was one thing Rae had almost forgotten. _'Sherry!'_ Without a moment's thought, she had jumped out of the bed, giving it a small rattle. She tried making for the door to go look for her, but found herself falling instead. A wave of weakness and fatigue overcame her as her knees shook. She was still famished and her stamina was completely depleted. She tussled, fighting to climb to her feet, only to feel a strong hand wrap fingers around her forearm and pull her up in one fell swoop. The man was strong. She felt the return of the cushioned hospital bed once more, wincing as some of her wounds tore slightly from her burst of exhilaration. "Sh..sherry..where is she?.." She murmured, grappling the edge of the bed tightly.

Barry looked at her, quite stunned at how quickly she could move, whilst being so weak. He noticed she mentioned the girl, and quickly made to assure her that she was alright. "Oh, she yours? Ya know, she wouldn't leave your side when we got her up and steady..We had to pry her away from ya with a crowbar, heh.." He rubbed one of her shoulders and rejoined his seat, taking a sip of his coffee. "She's fine, the nurses are taking care of her real nice-like..you got nothin' to worry about, she's in good hands here.." He smiled at her, watching her intently. Something still wrapped his mind, now that he finally had a chance to get answers. "So uh, where did you guys come from anyway? Must've been one hell of a beatdown.." He couldn't keep back a chuckle at the expression, looking over some of her more vicious-looking scars. He thought of some other things to say to lighten the mood, but seeing as how she was unresponsive to his current picks, he wasn't too sure if he should. _'Bit of a stiff, maybe she'll loosen up with some food in her belly..' _He stood up, laying his paper in his seat as he made his way out of the room, briskly motioning to her before leaving. "I'll be right back, gonna bring ya something that might help ya liven up a lil'.." He departed, and soon came back with a white tray and another styrofoam cup. As he set the tray on the small bedside table next to her, he cleared his throat a bit and pulled the blue plastic cover away from it, revealing a meal that didn't look all that desirable. "It's not great but, it'll hopefully hold ya over for a bit.." He gave a weak smile. Those goggles never left his line of sight. He knew she was keeping a close eye on him, and all the motions he made. The tension ran steady as she still stood, now staring at the table where the tray had been placed. He wondered just what types of thoughts were passing through her mind. Barry was relieved after he watched her finally slump back onto the bed behind her, but something was still itching his curiosity. "So.." He began, crouching over and resting his elbows on his knees as he held his furry chin, intently searching for his answers. "What were you two doin' out there all alone anyway? Where were you comin' from? Do you remember your name?" His eyes searched her for any type of hesitation.

Rae's mind reset to a blank. Parts of the ordeal had already been blocked out from her memory. It was a horrid, twisted turn of events. And as far as she was concerned, they were lucky they had made it out alive.

"_So what do you plan on doing with her? She's just a girl.." Rae's voice was stern and uptight as it echoed across the dark hallway, calling to a slender female figure clad in a skin-tight black jumpsuit sporting the Umbrella insignia. _

"_There's no room for people that are immune in our world, Rae..you know that.." A malicious sadistic tone lingered within her words. Poison laced her stare as she met eyes with her, a gleaming grin adding to the entirely corrupted expression. Her eyes moved from Rae to the girl standing behind her protector, the whole scene making her want to vomit. "If you turn against us, we'll find you..every one you'll ever come into contact with will be killed, including your precious little pet.." She snarled, motioning towards the frightened Sherry Birkin that stood shaking behind Rae. "Rae, you don't want to make me your enemy.." Her eyes started glowing that same acidic green she knew oh so well. _

"_We'll see about that.." Rae glared, a small smug grin playing against her lips. She pulled out a large, custom-made black revolver, aiming it towards her, the pins lining up with the middle of the woman's forehead. This was going to start a deadly feud, with possibly years of torment along the way. Nonetheless, she had to keep her promise. She had to keep her safe. _

"Hey..Hey!" Barry clapped his hands together in front of her, snapping her back into the present with a small burst of light as if the projector in her mind had blew a fuse.

The movie of her closest memory was over. She looked back at him, rubbing the back of her neck lightly remembering that she had completely ignored his questions. "Oh, right..It's..Rae.."

"Rae? That's your name?" He questioned, adding a subtle quizzical glance to the obscurity of her answer. "Odd, but I'll take it.." He shrugged, adverting his attention to the window that poured warm sunlight into the room.

"Rae!" A blonde came bounding into the room and threw her arms around the spiky-haired female, causing her to wince slightly. Sherry had been so happy to see her again since they'd gotten to the hospital, it almost felt like she hadn't seen her in a long time.

Rae's body leaned backwards a little to support Sherry's weight. She wasn't exactly the same young girl she'd known five years ago. It had been eight years since Sherry's life had turned upside down from the virus that rampaged and destroyed her home town of Raccoon City. It was a brutal blood bath for power and control, and despite Umbrella crumbling, somehow _he_ still sat at top tier.

Every time Sherry looked at her, Rae would see her mother, Annette. It was almost heart-wrenching.

"Rae you're okay! These people helped us, you need to be nice to them, okay?" Sherry pulled away from her tight latch around Rae's neck, smiling at her with the same sweet smile she'd always shared. She had been worried about her friend. She was about the only friend she'd had left in the world. The girl she knew so long ago when her nightmare had begun had apparently disappeared off the face of the earth, never to be seen again. All she had left was the pink leather jacket she wore all the time, to remind her that there were still good people in the world. People that wanted to help, and not cause terrible harm like Umbrella. Rae had stepped up to protect her, and she greatly appreciated it despite the sacrifices she continually had to make.

Barry watched the sight unfold, taking notice at what the girl had said. _'Be nice to us..what is she supposed to be, a muscle? And for what..' _Barry quirked a brow, quickly shaking the expression and giving a smile to join in the jubilant atmosphere that emanated from the two. It was like watching two sisters finally meet after being apart for years. Truly a heartfelt moment. Slapping a knee, he stood up and scratched his head. "Well, if you two are set, we'll go and see if we can't find a place to put you guys for a bit, if you'd like.."

"That sounds nice, Rae why don't we stay here for a while? It'll give you time to rest won't it?" Sherry beamed, turning back towards Rae and shaking her arm in an urgency to take up the offer. They'd been on the go for so long, maybe a little rest could do them good.

As Rae tried to answer in protest, she looked up at Sherry, slightly taken aback by the tiredness in her eyes. She only owed it to her to stay and rest. They had been on the move for so long Rae had forgotten what a bed even felt like. It would have been a nice change. And then again. _'If we stop..it'll only give her time to catch up..but I couldn't possibly..'_ She'd skimmed by the first battle by the skin of her nose. She wasn't too sure if she'd survive another one. And bringing a fight like that into a city like this was just asking for trouble. It was nice to hear cars and chatting for once, and not screaming and complete chaos. Her heart gave in, and she nodded to the both of them. "Alright, alright..just nothin' too fancy.." She smiled lightly, rubbing the back of her neck.

They both watched as the blonde bounced happily, practically drooling over just how good a soft warm bed was going to feel. There was o doubt about it now. They had been going on for too long without the necessities of home. Sherry grabbed a cheek, pinching it teasingly as she wiggled it, making Rae's tawny hair shake loosely. "Better get dressed then, I don't think you wanna be walking around like that.." Sherry giggled, bounding out the door with Barry following her, a kind smile displaying across his bearded features as he nodded to Rae and shut the door with a quick snap to give her some privacy.

Her clothes were collected in a neatly folded pile on a chair next to the window. As she got out of bed to get dressed she thought a bit more to herself about the past few hours. The only thing they hadn't removed from her was her goggles, thankfully. _'That would have been cause for some alarm..judging by the way he was acting, things seemed pretty normal..'_ It was a dead give away. The only person that knew was Sherry, and even Rae was surprised the young woman could keep such a secret. _'Maybe she's trying to protect me..'_ The thought had crossed her mind several times. If people did find out about her, it would cause all sorts of problems. Even worse, if she had found them. That was another problem. She was surely still hot on their trail, even after her first defeat. Although she knew it wasn't safe for them to stay for long, Rae was doing it for Sherry. _'It was all for Sherry, wasn't it..' _She thought, looking down at her scars. That was true. It was all to protect Sherry, and protecting Sherry meant holding the only silver lining to a deathly storm cloud that had the power to eradicate the entire human race. Slipping on her clothes, she tightened her satchels and belts in place, making sure they had a firm grip. _'Yeah..it's all for Sherry..' _


	2. Chapter 2

**The Opposition**

It was a long and comfortable ride as they made their way into the more industrial part of the city of Oaksdale. The air conditioning brushing against Rae's face made it all the more enjoyable. Watching people walk and live their lives freely. It was surely a satisfying sight apart from the carnage and war-torn towns she'd been through recently. It was almost as if she'd been dreaming. She watched the lush trees sway to the whipping winds as the drove by a nearby park, seeing children and other people laughing, playing, and living. As far as she was concerned, it seemed like an urban paradise. The clearing of the man's throat in the driver seat brought her to attention.

"I'm gonna set you up with one of our members..she's a really great girl, you'll like her, younger sister to a good friend of mine.." Barry chuckled, scratching his fuzzy chin. "Although, you gotta watch what you say, she's a sharp one.." He turned into a humble-looking neighborhood with houses that seemed like they'd been squished together, their driveways almost side-by-side of each other. It seemed like a nice enough community for what they needed with temporary stays. "Terra Save and the BSAA rent these things out to people traveling between each city..It's pretty convenient if you're waiting on some orders and are always on the go but want the comforts of home...Oh, I almost forgot.." Barry pulled a large, long-barrel revolver from his holster, handing it over to Rae. "That's some gun..cleaned the hammer parts for you and gave her a full tune-up..she seemed to be weathered pretty bad.." He cleared his throat at the awkward silence that now lingered in the car like an overwhelming fog. "You didn't happen to come from uh, Brownsville, didja?" He turned a swift eye towards her, noticing she'd been staring out the window the entire time. _'Maybe it might be too touchy of a subject..that was a pretty gruesome attack..' _He didn't know whether to wait and let her regain her thoughts or press on, or even try to change the subject. The silence left him a bit unsteady. Much to his relief, he heard her start to say something. At least now he could settle with the thought that he wasn't being ignored.

"You're very sharp..that's exactly where we came from.." Rae's eyes still rested on Sherry's reflection in the side mirror as she sat slumped sideways in the back seat, fast asleep. She displayed a rather dry smile, her heart sinking a little as each passing memory collected and resurfaced one by one.

_The streets were lined with corpses, dead and undead. Terror filled the scene as each new monstrosity subsumed some new form of awful and impertinent doom. They just had to get out of the city alive. Is this how it was going to be? Was it really all worth it? Questions built up a strong hint of hesitation in her mind as Rae limped down a lonely alley way, Sherry forcing her forward with terrified optimism. At least she was trying to keep the mood encouraging despite everything falling apart. She could feel blood seeping out of her wounds, each step bore new waves of resounding agony for her aching muscles and tired, beaten body. The battle itself was such a blur. Thoughts and words from before swam in her mind that had almost lost all sense of consciousness. _

"_You won't win Rae, I'm far more superior than you ever wish you could be, hand the girl over to me and I'll think of sparing your pathetic excuse for an existence.." The monstrosity growled, whipping three strong tentacles around and grabbing the defenseless femme, dangling her in mid-air as she began squeezing the life out of her. "Rae, we can do extraordinary things..why must you fight against us? Imagine how much we could accomplish..how much power there is left to gain..you are throwing all of that way, are you certain that insignificant little flea is worth it?" A pair of glowing green eyes called into her soul, examining the tiny creature that it held captive. _

"_Go to Hell, where you belong.." Rae growled, pulling up a knife to stab at her restraints hoping to break free. _

_-BOOM-_

_Something like a grenade had gone off somewhere near the base of the monster, causing it to squirm in pain and drop it's captive. Rae crashed to the dank and damp asphalt, looking up to see Sherry pull another pin and toss another towards it. _

_With her gun aimed and ready, she held out a hand for Rae to get back up to her feet, a quick smile letting her know she was alright and not just casting a brave face."Are you okay?" She asked shortly, backing away from the creature pulling Rae along with her. "C'mon, you're too weak right now we need to run.." _

_As they made for a quick escape, Rae could feel the vibrations in the ground as the behemoth that was once an attractive, sly vixen rampage and thrash at the surrounding area, crashing pipes and bricks. She turned to see one of those pipe shooting out a gas that seemed to quickly engulf the area with an odd smell. 'Gas..' Using quick thinking, she let them get a few feet away before preparing a shot that would hopefully by them a good amount of time. _

_The being had soon regained it's sight, and quickly locked on to its targets. Throwing two tentacles towards them, it lunged, screaming with rage. _

_Aiming for anything that would help create a spark, she turned her aim towards it, and fired. Seconds passed on like an eternity as the tentacles grew intensely close to their prey, only to be yanked back and the two females thrown forward from the enforcement of the blast. An arm lay under Sherry's head while the other rested against her back, in a protective stance against the fall. As Rae looked back towards the now completely decimated alley, she noticed that the thing had disappeared, its screams still haunting the dirty, musty air that hung around the decaying city. They had won, for now. _'Yeah, it's worth it..it's worth it to see you fail..'

"What in the hell.." Out of nowhere, a car came flying across the scene, crashing into the pavement and sliding into the front yard of an unsuspecting house. Barry hit the brakes, skidding to a halt and looking around wildly for whatever could have done that. It had caused such alarm that quite a few onlookers now were gathering to ogle at the sight. "Stay here.." He ordered, pulling out a rather large, silver Colt .45 from the dashboard and climbing out of the truck. "BSAA everyone keep a safe distance and return to your homes.." It had gone almost completely silent, besides the few hushed voices that were trying to make sense of what had just happened. Barry started to notice, there were no birds. There were no background noises besides the roaring city that seemed to fall slowly out of ear shot as his eyes continued down the flight path of the air born car. Screaming soon broke the stifling silence as another car came flying towards them, with Barry now caught in the middle. With not enough time to brace for impact or successfully dodge the vehicle, he felt a strong shove along his pelvic area as an arm latched around his waist.

"Get down!" Rae tumbled towards him, then flung full force into the ground. Barry and Sherry lay under both arms. Her stamina was back. They had cleared the wreckage, but that was the end of it. More screams erupted as people started running in horror, a pack of angry rough-looking dogs chasing after them. A closer look told Rae that this was no freak accident. 'She's here..' Rae narrowed her eyes in the direction of which the cars had been continuously catapulted from, seeing nothing. Not until a long slimy tentacle claim it's clutches around the truck they'd been sitting in just a few seconds ago, pinching it in half with tremendous force, did Rae realize that she was playing games. _'Alright, I got a game for you..fetch..'_ Rae pulled her knife from it's sheath, creating a small cut into her hand to allow blood a small passage. Popping open the revolver, the used shells scattered as she removed one of the unused bullets, covering it with blood with her hand. She slipped it back into the gun, aimed, and fired in the opposite direction, grinning as she watched a mound of earth pop up and start accelerating in a chase after it. Breathing heavily, she wiped some sweat off her brow, standing and dusting herself off from the whole calamity, a calm and reserved smile appearing as she turned her attention to Barry. "Heh, you'd think for a B.O.W she'd be a bit smarter..that's not gonna entertain her for very long...we need to move.."

"Hey now, wait a hot minute right here, what the hell was that?" Barry couldn't figure out whether to be amazed or pissed, or both. Not only was his truck destroyed, but there was now a B.O.W rampaging through the city. There was another thing he hadn't even fathomed. _'How the hell did she go from that truck, grab the girl, and get here that quickly..'_ He quickly climbed to his feet, helping Sherry up as well.

"If she's down, we need to go up until she resurfaces..judging from that episode it seems as though she hasn't fully recharged and restored herself..we need to go up.." Rae pulled out a refill for her revolver, slipping them in and putting it back into its holster. She was almost certain she had quite a bit of explaining to do._ 'BSAA huh..I should have known from the badge..if he finds out about me then I really am screwed..and Sherry..'_ She couldn't bring herself to project such a harsh reality if Sherry was no longer under her protection. No human stood a chance against her. No creature for that matter could wage a battle with her in hopes of standing victorious. After seeing what happened to her father after the G-virus engulfed his body, Rae started seeing a trend. _'If it's a Birkin there's no telling is there, Hilda..' _She redirected her attention to his questions, her eyes clouding behind her goggles. "Don't worry so much about the little details..we need to keep moving, and I need your help.." Rae beamed, holding out a hand.

Barry wasn't so certain of this character's traits, and his curiosity was eating away at just how much she knew about this thing that had attacked them. _' _Little_ details? '_ She did save his life, and he felt like he owed her at least a hand in whatever it was she needed. He gave her a forceful stare, and a firm hand shake. "Alright..but I expect more of an explanation..some time.." With swift yank of the wrist he pulled her forward with such force that she slammed into him, puling up his gun and firing through a dog that had made a jump towards Rae's neck. Pieces of it's face were completely blown away and it collapsed to the ground behind Rae with a sharp yelp, writhing in pain before taking in that final breath. Its body was covered in a mismatch of sinew, torn skin, and exposed muscle. Barry knew all too well what it was, and he knew this was just the start. "So..about that help.."

The order from the main BSAA office came through pretty clear before things started getting visibly worse. Claire was almost anxious, wondering if it was worth all the hype. If this was truly a new B.O.W then they had quite a load of shit on their hands. Things had seemed to pick up pretty fast ever since Terra Save and the BSAA started working together. She only wished it'd happened before she became buried in paper work. The Redfield pulled up a stack of papers and straightened them neatly, laying them off to the side, just to have a strong sizable tremor completely rattle the small office that sat on the North end of town. It grew more violent with every passing second, causing some the light fixtures to fall from their perch. As soon as it had arrived, it departed abruptly. "What _was_ that?" Claire's eyes widened at the sudden tremor. They were sitting somewhere along the eastern coastline. There was no way in hell it could have been an earthquake. _'Unless the entire world has decided to jump on the bandwagon and go crazy now..'_ She wouldn't doubt it. She'd thought she'd seen everything once she got to college, and then a zombie apocalypse hits her home town. Not to mention now there were renegade scientists running around selling tiny doomsday serums to psychotic sociopaths who crave power and want nothing but to crush the world along with the human existence. To her, an earthquake on the eastern seaboard was almost believable, even if it was physically impossible. A fuzzy and frantic male voice came over a tiny black radio that hugged the waistline of her jeans. _'Barry..' _She pulled it to her cheek, hitting the call button. "Barry! What's going on? What is your situation?" As she walked towards one of the windows the had a clear view of the city, she was horrified to see a couple tall skyscrapers crumble into the city's depths, creating huge billowing clouds of debris and smoke she could clearly see from her post. Something was going on down there. "Barry hang on, I'm coming! Find cover and report back to me!" Swallowing the slight fear that lingered in her throat, she grabbed one of the 9mm handguns that sat in a case and loaded it, stuffing two to three magazines in her back pockets before heading out. She needed to get to them, not knowing that going into the city meant falling right into the belly of the beast.

Things had already gone from bad to worse fairly quickly, as the closest thing they could find that wasn't already partially destroyed was an office building. The streets were lined with the undead and the dying, with a few mutant repugnant dobermans running around, patrolling in packs. Barry rubbed his forehead, slightly taken aback at how fast things fell apart. It had gone from a busy business day metropolis to a complete ghost town in what seemed to be just minutes. Night fall was starting to set in, and if they didn't find good sources of light they were gonna be in trouble. Something kept nagging him about his new comrades. He was told everyone in Brownsville died. If they survived, he wanted to know how. On top of that. _'How the hell did she move that fast..'_ It still bewildered him. It was almost unsettling. Speaking of whom, he looked back at Rae and the young woman that was now clinging to her like a scared child. "Well, I gave her the coordinates of our location, hopefully she'll find us or find out what they are planning to do to fix this mess.." He explained, reloading his gun and looking back at her, seeing himself reflect in her orange-tinted goggles. It bothered him that he couldn't see her eyes. Not enough to cause a scene about it. "So, you never answered my question..is she yours?" He asked again, a bit more commanding this time.

"No.." Rae answered him shortly, not meaning to sound so pensive and short. It was trying her nerves, that people had to die in order for one to be safe.

"Really.." Barry sounded skeptical, moving a hand to scratch his beard. "What are you doin' with her then? Family member? "

"I made a promise to protect her, and she's been with me ever since.." Rae answered simply, her tone now more relaxed and not as abrasive. "I'm afraid that's all I can tell you for now.." A short smile beamed apologetically towards him as she rubbed the back of her head.

Barry nodded towards her, giving a firm expression. "I can live with that I reckon.." He readied his gun and took a quick look past the desk they'd been leaning against to see if the coast was clear. He couldn't admit it wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, but for time purposes, the answer was good enough. Rustling of papers caught his attention. He peeked around again, but after hearing it once more it sounded a bit farther away than what was in his line of sight. It was starting to tap on his last nerve. "Alright, we need to move or we're gonna be collectin' here like sittin' ducks.." He turned to her, motioning for her to get ready.

-BANG-

Claire fired another round, making her way through the rubble, the road that used to have four lanes of traffic now entirely demolished. Rubble lay every where, and the undead were slowly multiplying in small numbers. Taking down the zombies was enough trouble as is, she didn't want to have to meet the thing that left the giant crater in the middle of the road. Finding a safe way across, she jumped over, her boots clopping against the asphalt and echoing around the recently abandoned streets. She had found it. The office building Barry had described towered over her. She only hoped she wasn't too late.

The rustling papers were now accompanied by the ground giving small trembles every time they made the slightest movements. Barry felt there was something stalking them, but from where. "Let's go.." He got to his feet but stayed low to the ground. Rae followed suit along with Sherry. The tremble grew, shaking the entire building as they tried to make their way out the door.

-CRASH-

Pieces of cement and dry wall flew into the air as a large tentacle burst through the floor, turning towards them. Barry readied his gun and aimed but was found only to be grabbed and flung across the room, collapsing with a loud thump. He tried regaining his composure, rubbing his head from the impact.

The tentacle reared and prepared for another attack, this time on it's primary target. As it whipped back, gunshots rang out, bullets now plunging into it's scaly hide. Rae noticed a girl on the other side of the tentacle firing away at it. The small light from the bursts of gunfire reflected off of her icy blue stare. As she lunged, motioning for the girl to stop, the tentacle recoiled and caught her by the foot, slinging then slamming her hard into the floor next to the woman.

"Rae!" Sherry screamed across the hole as a cloud of smoke and debris obscured their sight.

Barry grabbed her, pulling her away from the crater and towards the exit that led to the roof. "C'mon! We need to get ya out of here, she'll be fine!" He assured her, as he pushed them along and to the nearest exit. He'd only hoped that, if that was Claire, they had things under control. This young lady seemed to be more important, and there was no way they were going to be able to jump that gap, especially if that thing was still lurking.

Rae could feel a numbing sense of pain cover her entire body, followed with a tingling sensation, as if every bone in her body had been broken. As she rolled over, she met eyes with the young rebel redhead, hers filled with a sense of concern.

_"Hey, are you okay?...Are you still breathing? Hello?"_

Her words were very faint, and Rae's line of sight was dimming. Her body grew weaker and weaker, until she felt unconsciousness slowly creep around the corner. She tried moving her hand towards Sherry, where she remembered she was, and stretched out her fingers. The light in her eyes quickly extinguished, and with a last bit of consciousness she tried calling out to her, only to be able to produce a barely audible whisper. "Sherry...save..sherry.."


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch. 3**

**Never Too Late**

_ Voices, from the outside of this darkness she was stuck in. Both were familiar in tone and frequency. She remembered them all too well. It was just about the only thing she could remember. Her heart seemed to sink a little at the thought of how much she didn't know about herself. She was reassured it was for good reason that her existence be erased. Then again, one can never really put a definite price on immortality. Rustling in the amniotic fluid she was submerged in, she fought to hear the entirety of what was going on outside of her holding cell with subconscious fully aware of the surroundings. _

_ "Where is the girl? I'm growing tired of this nonsense Annette.." A succulent female voice caught her attention first as she eavesdropped on the whole ordeal. _

_ "I honestly don't know, and once She wakes up you'll never find her, I made sure of that..you and that monster that betrayed me and my husband!" Another voice growled, fierce and demanding."Face it, Umbrella is collapsing and you have no one to blame but yourselves..My creation will destroy you and anyone else if you so much as lay a finger on my daughter.." A slight stutter lingered within her words as the tone fluctuated to carry a lighter, almost daring air. _

_ A menacing roar echoed through the solemn halls of a once-bustling testing facility just a few miles underground. Another sounded not too far after that. He was getting closer. "Speaking of monsters.." The sly voice replied, with a short pause before a crash that shook her holding cell, another roar vibrating the fluid that sustained her. It had to have been right outside, whatever it was._

_ "William..I'm sorry.." Wild gunshots rang out as everything fell to dead silence once again. Her mind searched wildly for more noise, rustling, clanging, the sound of engines..._

_ Anything, anything than this silence that seemed to pose as her only lullaby as she slowly drifted back to sleep._

_ "_Hey..hey are you okay?" Pushing the nose of her nine-millimeter against an exposed, bleeding shoulder, Claire noticed she – or he – was still breathing. Wincing at the rather large gash she had been poking at, she pulled out a tourniquet from a vest pocket and dabbed it gently, only to immediately fly backward at the response as they shot up and into the corner in half a millisecond. The gun she had been holding left her hand before she could think of where it had gone, now pointing at her along with a seemingly cold, still stare. It was almost unnerving trying to guess how penetrating those eyes were behind those reddish lenses, but it was safe to say the stare was spot-on. "Whoa..okay, I was just trying to help.." Her eyes inadvertently scanned the area in case she needed to make a quick getaway in a worst-case scenario. _'Talk about jumpy..' _Claire followed the gun as it dropped slowly, teeth gritting together as _'she'_ finally loosened some tense and obviously hurting muscles.

Flipping the gun in midair to catch it by the nose, Rae held it back up to her in a half-asked sign of peace. Much to her relief, this one didn't look as professional as that other guy. It wasn't necessarily a flag to let her guard down either. Keeping distance, Rae climbed to her feet and tried to shake off the stinging in her left shoulder which carried to the rest of her muscles. _'Hilda really packs a punch when __she wants to..I guess this one will add to the collection I already have from her..' _Turning her attention back to the girl, her eyes caught no sign of Sherry. "Shit.." Darting sideways, she searched fiercely for the two, heart trembling. _'He would stand no chance against her, I have to find them both..' _As soon as she put all her pressure on her left leg, she collapsed to the damaged and dirty floor with a gasp of pain. All her wounds were still fresh, but time was constrained.

"Whoa, hold on..you're still hurt pretty bad.." A bit of concern laced with uncertainty as Claire went to grab her, trying to make sure she didn't hit any open wounds. "We can rest here for a minute, those things don't seem to be near this floor..let me look and see if we can patch that shoulder..okay?" Her focus on the girl was dead center, making sure she didn't flip out again.

"You don't..understand.." Rae gasped, trying to fight the agonizing ache that seemed to engulf her rapidly, in huge waves. "We have..We have to find Sh-sherry..I promised..She'll kill him and take her away.." Regaining stance with the wall closest to her as support, a clutched fist made an attempt to divert the injuries. "I can't let that happen.."

Claire immediately caught the attention of the name, bringing back memories she had locked away for almost a decade. "Sherry? As in Sherry Birkin?" She had heard it in the latest news. Something had attacked the place where they were keeping her locked away like some juvenile delinquent and tore it to shreds, leaving nothing but a totally desolate, disease-ridden ghost town in it's wake. It took the team months to get that sorted out and cleaned up, thanks to the combined efforts of Tricell. This was all getting to be a bit odd.

The perfect guess caught her off guard. Sherry spoke of a woman that she knew a long time ago that gave her the very jacket she cherished for so long, up into young adulthood. She'd always talk of the day where they'd meet again, and how much she missed her. It almost struck a nerve of jealousy in Rae. It almost made her want to admit the past behind her role as guardian, in how her mother totally erased her own sister's existence just to ensure that her daughter would be safe, only to spend those years missing her own child as she grew up. It was always a tough subject with Sherry. Trying to tell someone their parents really did everything they could for them but were never around was hard in itself. It was the only thing Rae tried to keep from Sherry, regrettably. If this woman was indeed the same woman Sherry spoke of, then they just might have a good chance of survival. _'Maybe, just maybe..I can have faith in this outcome..'_


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch. 4**

**Reminisce**

An eerie stillness hovered over the nearly abandoned city, enough to give Barry the chills as the sweat-soaked hair on the back of his neck began to rise. The girl, Sherry, sat closely beside him as they hugged a large ventilation exit from atop the building they had tried to escape from. The roof was a dead end except for a narrow bridge made from a fallen pillar. Seeing as it was their only means of getting away from that building, he settled on the idea that they might could cross it one at a time. Then again, he had no idea of what kind of emotional state the girl was in. The entire climb up the staircase was a pleading war to get him to go back for that woman. Why she had been so adamant about going back for her he didn't know, but he did know they needed to get away from that thing, whatever it was. He looked her over once more. Besides a few smudges of dirt on her jean skirt and face she seemed fine. She reminded him of Polly, one of his daughters. The likeness was almost uncanny. Looking further, he noticed a small metal box hidden in a secluded pocket inside the red vest she was wearing. Avoiding the question of what it might be, he cleared his throat and nudged her to gain her attention. "There's a way off of this roof over there but we're going to have to go one at a time, can you do that?" His hazel eyes matched her met hers briefly as he gave her the rundown on the situation.

"No..we have to wait for Rae, she'll come I know she will! Please..we can't leave her.." Tears were clouding her eyes as she tugged on his vest, imploring him to wait just a while longer. After all they'd been through, she knew for a fact Rae was still alive. Something inside her told her she was still there. She knew Rae wouldn't quit that easily, even if they did get separated.

"I know you feel safer with her here but right now we have to make sure that _you're_ safe..I promise nothing will happen to you while you're in my care lil' lady, you can count on that.." He gave her a dry smile, reloading his gun and making a way towards the makeshift bridge.

"But you're only human.." Sherry replied, a cold and slightly unsettling disappointment in her tone.

The words stabbed his train of thought abruptly, and he stopped in his tracks, mulling the statement over in his brain. _'Only..human?' _He wasn't sure if he wanted to question it, not knowing exactly what she meant. Recollecting his thoughts, he turned back to her and snapped the barrel of his gun shut with the slight flick of the wrist. "Now you look here missy, I may be human, but that don't stop me from trying to survive and protect.." There was a stern silence, the hint of determination inhabited his gaze on her as he watched her give a swift nod.

At that moment Sherry felt that humble sense of security she had felt with that other woman so long ago. It had come back. It was a very warm and assuring feeling, like maybe things would turn out just fine. At this point, she could only hope that feeling stayed true, at least until she was reunited with Rae. Her heart trembled as he helped her up onto the unsteady yet massive pillar, enabling her to cross into the darkness and further into the uncertainty that was slowly unraveling.

"You're getting sloppy.." A crisp, delicate voice carried across the room from one curvy figure to another, as if trying to challenge it. Silken legs of the finest color of tan crossed, resting in stiletto pumps as a gaze as thick as stone fell upon a dripping, amorphous figure that was trying to regain shape. Light spatters of blood stained the floor as the figure finally morphed back into what seemed to be a woman with dark brown lusty locks that flowed to the middle of her back. She looked a bit disheveled, but the onlooker paid no attention to that detail as they sipped glistening crimson from a wine glass. Pulling the glass away to examine it's fine design, she pursed her lips in mock disappointment. "He won't be pleased.."

"I'll get them eventually..she's just proving to be more difficult than I'd imagined.." The dark figure growled, a low and menacing remark in retaliation. They knew she wasn't going to be easy to take down, but this was far from difficult. "If you've ever tried to catch smoke you'd know what I mean..unfortunately this smoke also happens to have advanced tactical grace.." Annette was right after all about her. Although, despite her rebirth, Rae could retain her memories if they weren't too long forgotten. Hilda could erase the humanitarian nonsense Annette programmed her with, and implant a deadly seed that could become the third most deadliest weapon the world had ever seen. They could become the most destructive force since the invention of the nuclear bomb. Thinking about what they could accomplish only fueled the fire for that strive to capture them, but also released an inferno of hatred. Hilda could not find it in herself to forgive Rae for what she'd done to her back in Brownsville. There was only one thing in her way. _'That girl..' _The little runt that started it all, that took her most trusted colleague away from her. The one that also had a direct telepathic connection to Rae, even if she didn't figure it out yet. Those fools in that military facility let their guard down and lost Tricell quite a bundle for loosing the girl, and then for the main prize to walk away with her was almost too much to bear. They received the agonizing death they deserved, for such a failure. _'Humans are so disappointing..' _Hilda's acidic stare locked on to the silhouetted figure lounging across from her. The boss's new 'pet' was quite a prime example of how worthless the human race was.

"Well, make sure you catch them both alive, especially the girl..they'll be no use to us dead.." The biting comeback was followed by a cruel curl of the lips. Excella had always been good at showing absolutely no emotion towards the ones she considered rejects. "If you must, we can send in a little blood hound to help you catch a whiff of that 'smoke'.." Pulling up a minute, slender remote, she pressed the button in the middle and immediately called to attention the wall that opened behind her lounger. Claws clashed against bars as a solid roar filled the expanse with a sonic boom heavy enough to rattle the furniture. The dim light of the room only allowed a defined yet murky outline of the figure in all its bulky entirety, with just a glint of bright red hair reflecting. A resurrected beastly young man flung his axe against the bars behind Excella with a burning desire to taste that aristocratic blood. Shrugging it off, light fingers dusted the bit of iron dust from her suit as she returned eye contact with Hilda. "If you use him, be sure to treat him well, we want him back in one piece you know.."


	5. Chapter 5

**Ch. 5**

**Lost and Found**

Sprinting from alley to dark barren alley, Rae couldn't help but notice her wounds felt much better after being bandaged up again. It was usually Sherry or herself that had that job after a rough-n'-tumble with the unnaturally dead and deadly. The streets looked abnormally clear. She could only hope that there were more survivors than the incident before this one. A few heedless carriers danced the shuffle in small groups of two and three along the streets as the two of them slipped by and took cover where ever they paused. This girl was a bit more professional than she lead one to think. It made Rae wonder if it was really safe to trust her, but then again, she didn't kill her on the spot, so that was something to consider. _'Who knew humans knew empathy so well..' _It wasn't a comforting thought at all. Despite everything, it surprisingly felt as though this girl _wanted_ to help. On the other side of the coin, it meant she would get in the way a lot. Human nature was mostly irrational, acting on impulse and not logical thought. _'It must feel nice to be oblivious..'_ As far as she was concerned, this life was the only one she'd ever had. What they would call a childhood, or growing up, she couldn't remember it at all. Her birthplace was a fire pit from the inside of a small crater that used to be a laboratory. Her name was a bar code. Her existence was a primary objective. Between Rae and this girl, it was apparent that this objective was beginning to expand.

Their boots clopped against the asphalt that was beginning to reflect the misery of this city, from pieces of broken sidewalk to bodies that peppered the roads of victims that weren't so fortunate. Claire couldn't help but think on what she was talking about, even leading her to suggest that she knew a lot more than she was revealing. Not wanting to jump to conclusions, she figured an introduction was in order and in theory might open up a few windows and shell out more clues as to why she needed to be with this girl, Sherry. Holding out a brown leather gloved hand towards the woman, she forced a hasty smile as she took the bait and shook. "Claire Redfield..Terra Save representative..I guess I can trust that you're from the military right? Since that is THE Sherry Birkin you're referring to?" According to the news report, only a few people had made it out alive, the city was partially evacuated before the alarms sounded in the complex. It only left a few hundred as mindless carriers and an entire canine unit. If this woman had her in possession, she could only guess it was another operative that was directed to watch over her. Reasons as to why they had kept Sherry locked up into young adulthood were beyond her, but all the information she'd ever gotten from that would come from the news reports and from inside Terra Save, both being extremely limited.

_'Bingo..' _She couldn't have been more right. The Redfield girl Sherry spoke of was right here. It would have been more a pleasure to meet her but given the circumstances Rae was more concerned about getting Sherry and leaving this place. _'Talk about serendipity..' _She held back a smile, drowning it in a stoic sense of solicitude. In an attempt to modify the dicey topic at hand, she wiped a bead of cool sweat from her brow and sighed. "Don't worry about that, listen..we have to find them before Sh– it comes back.." Rae caught herself. She'd already felt as though she'd said too much. Referring to Hilda in her non-primal state wasn't the best idea at the time. _'He was right..she is a sharp one..' _A slight curl appeared in her right cheek. She could tell this was going to be an interesting journey from the start. "Rae..My name is Rae."

An overwhelming since of curiosity had now tagged every free thought. This woman had completely avoided her question, obviously aware that she did. _'She's hiding something..' _Rae. It didn't sound like any name she'd ever heard. Terra Save got a list of the survivors from the complex, and she swore she didn't seen any variation of that name. She didn't give a last name, which didn't help her deduction much, either. A mystery was starting to unravel with this situation, and she could only hope that she wasn't in the danger zone. _'Like it would matter..you've had worse..' _It was true. She'd been through quite a few situations where it seemed all hope had completely extinguished without any subtle chance of survival, but she pulled through with just a few cuts and bruises. Since calling it pure luck was unnerving, she could only figure it was just a drive to survive that saved her, with a little bit of luck mixed in. With eyes darting every which way, searching for potential dangers and any sign of movement hostile of friendly, Claire could only hope that Barry and that girl made it out okay and were safe. If anything, it was more than hope, it was almost guaranteed. Barry was more than qualified for this type of disaster. The only issue now was reuniting with them. Barry wasn't coming through on the radio. At this point, they were just rats in a maze.

A few blocks down, they had made it to what looked like a park. A smooth clearing to see everything and to be seen was both good and bad. Rae knew they couldn't squander time here, especially if they didn't know what else might be on the prowl. Given that, she never realized a rusty park bench could feel so good. Her feet were pounding, obviously they hadn't healed completely from the few hundred mile trek she made with Sherry. Forgetting her worries for a moment, she stretched out across the bench after claiming it, yawning as her muscles fell limp and hands flopped to the ground. She immediately looked up as the redhead traveling with her heaved a vexed sigh and walked away from the bench looking mildly defeated. She couldn't help but notice the girl seemed on edge. Putting on a smirk, she crossed her arms behind her head and forced a small chuckle. "You know, you really need to relax a bit..let your problems air out for a moment then get back to them when you're a little more placid.." The tone was nonchalant, with a hint of mock concern.

"Are you serious? We're in the middle of a biohazard disaster and you want to take it easy? What about Sherry?" Claire almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. They were practically standing in the middle of a bio warfare zone and she wanted to rest? _'Some bodyguard..' _A sense of slight disgust curled her lips and soured her mood even more so than before. _'Great, another outbreak and I'm stuck with an asshole..' _

With a heavy exhale Rae sat up, eyes catching directly with Claire's from behind her goggles. "We really don't have time to be worrying about that, I need you to focus with me on what's happening to **us** _now_ and keep some room in your brain open for fast decisions, okay?" A somber, steadfast expression followed her words to assure their meaning.

Claire stopped and thought about it. She was absolutely right. Instead of worrying about what they had no control over, they should start worrying about what was going on now and how to ensure a safe passage out of this newly-discovered hell-hole that was once a city. The darkness that had slowly crept in from the east wasn't helping the situation at all, and pretty soon it was going to be incredibly hard to see. As she began to develop a provisional plan to regroup with Barry and stay alive at the same time, her ears caught the sound of wind being chopped by massive blades. _'A helicopter?..' _They both immediately turned attention to the skies, the massive trees obscuring their view. Claire made out a black silhouette. It was carrying something else rather large, like a very large cargo crate. They heard a wire snap as the sound of the blades drew in closer to the city then grew faint, followed by a loud crash of metal hitting rock. "What do you suppose that was?"

Rae turned from the direction to look back at her, now standing next to her with a slightly quizzical countenance to match Claire's. "I'm quite curious myself.."

Claire pulled out her nine-millimeter and swung her head in the direction of the crash, a readying stance to sprint as she loaded her gun. "Let's go!"

As that long crimson pony tail bobbed with her steps, Rae followed closely behind with gun ready. She wasn't exactly sure what they might find. Hilda's little crew was good at leaving nasty surprises. She could only fear the worst was just getting started, and that this was going to be the little black box it was delivered in.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ch. 6**

Darkness had already claimed the entirety of what used to be a strip mall storage floor. Towers of boxes lined the walls, covered in dust and crumbles of cement. Sherry couldn't see two inches in front of her face, holding the gun out in front of her like a dowsing rod. Whatever ran in front of her would get a bullet first, she'd make sure of that. Not too soon after, the man she'd been escaping with climbed through the enormous opening caused by their makeshift bridge, blocking most of the already dim street-light that was faintly pouring in through the cracks. It was quiet despite their breathing, enough for Sherry to hear the thumping of her own hear as it rang in her ears.

"Looks like we're safe for now.." He said, slouching against a group of stacked merchandise and wiping some sweat from his forehead. From her point of view, it looked like he was about to pass out. "Hate to say it but I need a bit of a rest..not as young as I used to be, ya know.." The dry smile only seemed to slightly alleviate any sense of ambiguity between them. Sherry lowered her gun as her eyes started to adjust to the advanced darkness of the room, now being able to make out that if anything was in here, it would have made quite a ruckus by now trying to get to them. Barry gave her a second glance, noticing she'd pulled a small photo from her vest pocket and was peering at it from cupped hands, like a coveted valuable. Catching a small snippet of the picture, it seemed to be some sort of family photo. In a need to break the silence, he cleared his throat roughly. "That some family of yours?" He inquired, nudging his head toward the picture she'd hurriedly stuffed back into the small pocket. He made a quick gesture to assure he didn't mean to prod, feeling almost like he'd intruded on a small private episode she was having. "No need to be ashamed, I carry a picture of my family everywhere I go.." His words were meaningful and soft-spoken. "Don't reckon I'd be able to go through as much as I'd been through already without knowing I got 'em close to my heart.."

Sherry felt her chin sink to rest against her chest. "It's my mom..and.." She hesitated. That picture Rae had given her, it was a reminder to herself and to Rae of who she really was. The life she had before all of this mess. The life _they_ had. The woman who, according to all previous records and files the government had, did not exist. She stood happily next to her mother, posing as proud sisters to a legacy before the Umbrella Corporation went corrupt. "She's dead." That's all that came to mind. Sadly but truthfully, that's the only real heartfelt memory she had of her mother, the moment she realized she was gone, and the words that broke the news. These past few months Rae had been something like a mother to her, which if anything, it was definitely something to be appreciated. _'She risked her life to save you from those people, and continues to fight the world to make sure you're safe..it's more than you could have ever asked for..' _She turned away, fighting back tears while remembering what Rae always told her when she'd get herself down. _'Stiffen that upper lip little lady, smiles are the fuel for life..'_ If she could only see her now. Sherry made a quick off-handed glance back at him to make sure her comment didn't come off as cold or unnerving. He really didn't deserve the silent treatment. After all, he _was_ trying to help her.

_Arooooooooooooooooooo._

It was a sound Barry recognized all too well. The lonely, haunting howl of a poor Fido that had fallen victim to the T-virus. From what he could remember, unlike their human brethren that slowly shuffled along, these were lightning fast and relentless. _'If there's one, there's gonna be four more around it..'_ They also seemed to hunt in packs, just like any other instinctual canine, a trait he'd have liked to see deteriorate with their rotting tissue. But to no avail, it meant they'd need to start moving again. The howls were getting awfully close. With a quick snap of his back, he readied his gun and gave her the gesture for 'Let's get the hell out of here'. Stopping short, he had just realized something crucial. "Sherry.." He said, turning to face her. Holding out a firm gloved hand, he smiled gently in an attempt at the halfhearted introduction. "My name is Barry. Barry Burton." Her handshake was as frail as a fall-stricken leaf, brittle and cold. He assumed that was about as good as it was going to get given the circumstances. It was still one step further from being total strangers, at least.

When the smoke cleared, Rae could only make out the silhouette of a massive, statuesque crate that engulfed them in it's shadow as they slowly approached it. Guns ready, they split paths around it, meeting at it's face where they saw a small window lined horizontally with iron bars. A low growl startled them, both immediately raising their guns towards the thing. A forceful knock shook the entire crate, and the ground around them. "I think we might want to step back a few..or a hundred.." Rae stammered, both slowly distancing themselves as the knocks became more frequent, like tiny aftershocks from an earthquake. Hinges started to break loose with each passing bang, sliding off like hot butter from the rattling pressure of the blows.

Claire looked at Rae then swept her eyes back towards the wobbling crate, starting to agree with her. "Ya think so?" Before they could get any further, the door collapsed with a strong and heavy crash, and something almost two times as big as the crate climbed out. Thick ivory spikes lined the bulbous growth along its back. Tremendous muscular hands outstretched, wrenching a nearby light pole from the cement as if it were a toothpick. A green slimy texture glistened in the bathing moonlight, and heavy thuds could be heard as it stomped towards them with its hefty three-toed feet. It was like something that crawled out of a child's worst nightmare, the loathsome howling growl only making it too real. Rae watched as its blood-stained eyes locked on to them, and slid a tongue across its fangs. The battle had begun.

Rae made a jump for it, aiming towards its head, only to get a pole slammed against her right side sending her plunging into the ground and creating a smooth crater before skidding back towards Claire's feet. Regaining stance, she twisted and popped her neck once and arched her back, a soft crack sending a small feeling of relief to the new-found pain. "Let's try that again..." On that mark, they both split paths as they had done before, using the crate as an obstacle between the monstrosity and themselves, only to see it get knocked to the side in a fit of rage from the creature. Claire made to dodge it but to no success as it collided with her side. Vision became blurry for a few seconds, and during those few fatal moments, the piercing silence of ringing stuck in her ears seemed to dampen all noise around her. Her eyes focused on the monster, and its attention was directed to her almost instantaneously. _'Steve..?'_ The memories poured in from a broken floodgate that had locked away most of her experiences at Rockfort. The Steve she remembered, the haughty red head teenaged boy that helped her through that horrible nightmare from start to finish, was entirely absent in this beast that now possessed his body. The once baby-blue eyes now a bloody crimson that burned and consumed whatever they beheld with pure terror. He had come two feet away from her face now, raising the long metal rod and readying a strike as Claire had finally come back into reality, pulling up the pistol to at least work a defense in hopes of saving herself. As the pole came down, she thought surely she was screwed. She caught the feeling of a swift draft rushing past her, as the monster went flying to the side. It wailed with pain, thrashing about as Rae held on securely to its weapon which was now held tightly against what used to be its neck. Rearing its ugly head, it hammered its back into an archway sign of what seemed to be a bank, knocking some bricks loose. A few cables snapped, sparks flying every which way. It leaned out towards the streets, over the two that struggled, one single wire keeping it from collapsing on them both. "Claire shoot him! Shoot him now!" Rae's yells ignited a sense of adrenaline in the deepest pits of her belly. She knew Rae wasn't going to be able to hold on to him for long. She couldn't exactly just wait and hope for that line to snap either, and seeing as how their gun fire was doing nothing but pissing him off, it was their _only_ hope. Aiming a shot for the wire, Claire pulled up her 9mm and began firing off shots one by one while trying not to draw too much attention to herself while he was preoccupied. _'You better make this count, or it will be both your asses..'_ The first shot was a miss. The next two ricocheted off the sign and the brick encasing around it. Claire steadied her gun once more, aligning her shots. A loud yelp and a gruff roar sounded from the two as she caught the sight of Rae getting slung across the pavement once more. Her eyes narrowed as she pulled the trigger, firing that fateful shot. _'Sorry Stevie..'_ The wire snapped and the sign came tumbling down onto the creature's head. A direct hit. She watched it crumbled to the ground under the weight, the solemn streets regaining their silence once more. A low moan sounded from Rae's landing path, Claire breathing a subtle sigh of relief when she saw the lanky figure stumbling towards her, rubbing her head. To her slight surprise, she didn't seem very pleased.

"What the hell was that all about? You almost got us killed! From the looks of it I'm lucky he tossed me aside like a crumpled up newspaper, otherwise I'd be a greasy pancake surprise by now.." The words came hot and heavy, some guilt building from the look on Claire's face. Rae couldn't help but feel slightly more responsible for her wounds given the fact that she could have knocked him back into last week, but the point still stood. Claire hesitated. And it had almost gotten her killed if Rae hadn't have tackled the big bastard.

"He..I knew him.." Claire admitted, her voice soft and aching as they stood and stared at the huge amorphous mass that used to be a human being. Adverting her glance, she looked back at Rae, at the long stream of blood that traveled down the side of her face. "You're bleeding.." A weak attempt to change the subject, not really wanting to reminisce about her unfortunate events at Rockfort. "If there are more of _him_ here, we might want to get out of the open..and you need to let me look at that.." Even Claire could admit it wasn't a very good attempt, but it did the job as she watched Rae shrug it off. The hatred for what they'd done to Steve still burned deep within her soul as she fought back tears. It was unfair. A young man's life cut short by some maniacal, evil human being bent on seeing the rest of the world burn with the same fate. It made her want to vomit. And this just fueled the flames. Apart from her anger, she couldn't help but wonder. How in the world did Rae hold him like that? Rae was about as tall as her, give or take a few inches including boots, and he must have had nearly three or four tons on her and was still _struggling_ to get free from her head lock with that telephone poll. It was indeed a mystery, and now she was going to make a point to ask about it, even if it meant uncovering a bit more than she could handle.


	7. Chapter 7

**CH. 7**

A gold-plated vintage lighter provided a small bubble of glowing red warmth from the fleeting darkness as Claire prepared a few medical supplies between them, the silence both distracting and tranquil as she thought out the steps to clean her wounds. She figured Rae felt some guilt for her verbal assault while they were standing over Steve's mutated corpse, even though she sort of deserved the wake-up call.

_'He could have killed both of you..it's the least you can do to put words aside and make sure she doesn't bleed to death–' _

She took a swift glance towards Rae, then back to her supplies, sizing up the lesion one last time to gauge how much gauze she needed.

_'– you need her after all..' _

Thought granted, Claire dabbed the gauze in the astringent, and hesitated before placing it on the oozing cut just along her hair line on her forehead. "Now brace yourself, this might sting a little.." Placing the gauze across the cut, she gently jumped backward as Rae winced and flailed.

"That hurt!" A quick gloved hand attempted fanning at the burning wound, feeling it start to fizzle from the disinfecting action. The burning sensation was white hot, and just added to the lengthy headache she had received from getting a face full of asphalt. She caught Claire's bright blue eyes, which held a raised brow and a slight look of irritation.

"Stop being a big baby and just let me clean it! I'm trying to be gentle!" Claire growled, grabbing Rae's arms and pinning them as she dabbed at it some more, finally starting to see that the actual cut wasn't as bad as it looked. No doubt the road had collected quite a bit of the skin from her forehead, but it wasn't calling for stitches, which was a good thing. Claire didn't think she could stomach putting in stitches. She felt Rae slump to the side, seemingly giving up on trying to fight it. She saw some blood had collected and dried along her goggles, and made a gesture to pull them down, only to have her hands caught and held as the red-tinted lenses pointed towards her. "Problem?" She asked, nonchalantly.

"What are you doing?" Rae adjusted her goggles, defiantly centering them back over her eyes. A stern look of toneless inquiry covered her facial features. It gave Claire an unsettling feeling.

Fighting against the restraints of her partner, Claire held her ground mentally, narrowing her brow. "Take them off so I can continue cleaning.." Her contemplative tone matched with the expression on Rae's face – stoic and direct.

"That will do.." Rae's new-found glacial inflection stabbed at Claire's curiosity. It was almost like she had turned into a completely different person in a matter of seconds. When her hands were freed, Claire could only stare, fixated on how fast things went from being casual to dead serious. Those lenses kept her under a constant surveillance, the eyes that lay behind them burning a hole where the settled.

Claire tried once more to fight in protest, her curiosity about why this was so important to her compelling her to press the subject. "C'mon..you can take them off for just a few seconds, it won't kill you– "

"I said no.." The strength in her emphasis was nothing but cold. She meant it. Claire had never seen anyone so anal about something as stupid as goggles. From the sound of it, Rae seemed too serious for it to be such an insignificance though. Almost like..

_'She's hiding something..' _

It was safe to make such an assumption. Especially now. Claire's imagination was running wild, each and every situation she could think of popping into her mind. It urged the adrenaline pulsing through her veins to just snatch them off and see for herself. There were other ways of getting what she wanted.

_'You can't attract flies with vinegar..' _

It was true. If she really wanted to find out the truth, she'd have to stop prodding the bull and feed it some sugar. Claire could figure, given the time they'd have to spend to get out of this mess alive, it should prove enough time to become as thick as thieves. It seemed to work like that in almost every circumstance.

'_Apocalypses seem to bring people closer together..as crazy as it sounds..'_

The thought made her want to chuckle, but it was certainly true. She and Leon had become pretty close during the mishap in Raccoon City, and then again in Harvardville. Human interaction during a cataclysmic disaster was crucial, and quite frankly, despite her new friend being _slightly_ unorthodox, Claire considered it a blessing. It was better than running around alone, even if she was completely certain she could handle herself. Given her past, a zombie hoard was nothing to her. Dragging along an egotistical moron only made the event more interesting.

Rae could feel the tension easing off of them slowly after the confrontation over the goggles, diverting her glance and keeping eye contact with the ground. Thoughts moving back to what Claire had said about the huge lummox that had almost smashed them to pieces just a few moments ago, recalling her saying something along the lines of 'she knew him as a human'. It was hard to think anything like that had once held human attributes, and even more so, enough to make Claire blush. Curiosity taking control, Rae cleared her throat and inquired about it, not expecting an answer for obvious reasons but decided to drop a line anyway. "So..Who was he?"

Thick clops from boots and heels echoed down a desolate alley way. With gun held at the ready, Barry paced in front of Sherry as she watched his back, staying in a close-knit couple while traveling. Growls followed them, along with the sound of claws and paws clapping against the dank and dirty streets. They were close, and actively hunting them. Barry could only begin to wonder when they were going to jump out and show their ugly misshapen snouts so he could put the poor mutts out of their misery. As if something was following his every thought, the first one tried to make a jump for Barry's shoulder, only to miss and slide down the T-intersection at the end of the alley.

b**BANG**/b

It flew backwards, bits of tissue and sinew painted the damp concrete as the creature curled into a ball, whimpered, then died. Another one made a dart towards Sherry, only to get a knife through the neck and slung into the wall forcefully, Barry sending a bullet into it's head to finish it off. He had to admit, the girl wasn't half bad.

_'That's not always a good thing..'_

_Arooooooooooooooooooooooooo._

Another lonesome howl followed after them as they ran across a clearing and into another building, this one looking a bit more sturdy than the last. Small shelves and low counters. It was perfect, considering they could see what was in there with them. A light tap on the shoulder from Sherry pointed him in the direction of a carrier, shuffling aimlessly behind a check-out counter. It was missing an arm, or it was either broken. From the darkness and the way it couldn't quite function to climb over the counter, it seemed like it was off in some way along those lines. Their only salvation was that it was only one, and the other creatures hadn't made it inside.

_'At least, I hope not..'_

Barry hadn't experienced this much body strain since his time in the Air Force. He could admit he was a bit rusty. And the girl.

_'Sherry..doesn't that sound familiar?'_

The girl stayed close to him, bundled over with her hands on her knees, catching her breath. She seemed a bit more calm than Barry deemed comfortable. It was like she'd done this before. Zombie outbreaks weren't exactly the norm, at least, Barry didn't think so. Then again, the way Sherry and Rae just showed up was all the more peculiar in the first place. Rae was pretty roughed up, and so was she. They were told no one made it out of the Brownsville victim rehabilitation center alive, and that Tricell did the head count themselves. They held the kid there for a while, Leon, after he and Claire made it out of Raccoon City alive. Before Tricell took over the facility from the government, they held a lot of Raccoon survivors there. Apparently Leon was a special case, seeing as how he got his current job through them. A careful glimpse of the metal wristband on her arm told Barry that's exactly where she came from.

'Maybe Tricell made a mistake..'

Good God. If everyone was perfect, they probably wouldn't be in the mess they were in. He and the entire STARS crew would be chilling in Fiji, as if this shit never happened. Hell, it wouldn't have happened if everyone was _perfect_. Settling on that idea, he rubbed a hand through his thick balding scalp and let out a sigh. "I got two bundles left, I have no idea where my radio went, so they could be half way out of the city by now.." He rubbed his eyes and then looked back down at her, feeling as though it wouldn't hurt to ask. "Whaddya got?"

Sherry wiped her hands down her denim skirt, the sweat collecting grime between her fingers. His question caught her off guard. She wanted to help him – help them both – but she didn't know how to do it without giving too much away. No one knew about Rae. Not even the government. Tricell was fighting hard to keep it under wraps so they could snag them both for themselves, but it was proving to be more and more difficult as the battle between Rae and Hilda raged on. It was pretty obvious Umbrella wanted it's merchandise back, before Tricell got their hands on it, and for obvious reasons. Either way, Rae wouldn't let them touch her. As long as Rae was alive, she was safe. At least, that's how she figured it.

_'Not many people would argue against brute force..not only that, but even an entire army wouldn't stand a chance..'_

Rae was virtually indestructible, and that's what Hilda craved. Invincibility was a powerful thing. But, heroes always had their tragic flaws. In Rae's case, it would be her love to preserve human life, no matter how insignificant. Logic entailed, no matter how mundane or irrational human instinct was, no one deserved to die. Sherry had tried to wrap her mind around this many times, but as time passed, she started to realize why she'd been so adamant about those virtues. Humans were followers by nature, and like a virus, if a few started to bend the rules and act on their conscience, others would follow. With the tense silence engulfing them, Sherry thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. If he did manage to inquire about it, she didn't exactly have to answer. Taking a seat next to him, she held her knees together and propped her forehead against them, concentrating hard. This had worked only once before, back in Brownsville, so she could only hope it might work again. Given the circumstances, this little ability proved to be extremely useful. If only telepathy replaced cell phones.

_'Rae...Rae can you hear me? Where are you?' _

She thought hard, concentrating on the message and her missing partner, fixated on the task strongly enough to start drowning out her surroundings. The air grew still, as if time had stopped. Silence had deafened everything. All she could hear was the beating of her heart. She concentrated harder, trying to force the thought through the distance between them. The tranquil nothingness engulfed her senses as she started to lose all hope, thinking she might either be hurt or too far away. She fought hard to keep the connection strong and push those horrible thoughts from her mind, only to be taken aback by the sound that came next.

_'Sherry?' _


	8. Chapter 8

**Ch. 8**

_ "It was here you decided your destiny, don't you remember?" A sly feminine voice as soft as silk tainted the air between them, laced with poison in her tone. "..You decided to throw away your potential..on that girl.." Tight black leather stretched against her features, the curves of her body creating an enticing silhouette against the rising smoke of the ruins that surrounded them. Acidic, burning emerald eyes locked on their target, gleaming with a ferocious glow, those slitted pupils kept Rae in their sights. The unmerciful battle left the entire building in nothing slight of utter dismay. Thanks to a few delays, most of the staff and occupants made it out before the ending result. _

_ Rae steadied herself on her feet, slowly rising from the ground, shaking from the fatigue and pain coursing through her. An unimaginable rage was building, gears grinding against her better judgment and igniting that ticking time bomb that now dwell deep within her veins. G was hard to control, and even harder to convert into something productive, but it was all she had to ride on. "She's your niece too..she's family, damn it! Nothing is going to change that!" Rae growled, grinding her teeth against her afflictions in an attempt to drown them out. She was wrong. _

'I was made for a purpose..'

_Anger took over her conscience, invading it. Her body shook, and traveled to the ground around her. Small tremors began to crack and crumble the ground between them. The femme that was staring her down made a dramatic lunge for her prey, only to meet with fierce glowing blue eyes, and then a forceful shock wave that knocked her into on of the larger tremors. The shock wave spread fast, kicking up debris and trembling the earth violently in it's wake. _

_ "Karen...are you going to kill your own flesh and blood..without a second thought?" A frightened hand tried desperately to cling to the ledge while she hung in the jaws of a fresh chasm. Breaking, the voice went on, in a heated effort to extend her trial. "I was your sister..killing me is just stooping to my level.." _

_ The air grew steady, as the luminous stare settled on two hands clinging to a ledge. Despite how much hatred she had building up inside of her, all she could do was stare. The pleas of help from her fell on deaf ears. As she watched the hands slowly disappear, unable to hold on any longer, the grim, sickening feeling of victory began to take her. A tear streamed down her left cheek, collecting blood and dirt along with it. The calm returned amongst the cataclysm she now beheld, only able to utter one thing out of the many that she wanted to say. "I'm sorry, Hilda.."_

'Sirens..so many sirens..coming from all directions..'

_ Light blue eyes opened to a crimson sky filled with black puffy clouds. The scent of gasoline and decaying flesh lingered and assaulted her sense of smell. The young Birkin cupped a hand over her nose as her eyes began to water from the tainted air, finding it hard to catch a fresh breath but only every once in a while. A few feet from her lay a demolished helicopter sporting the Tricell logo along the busted nose, the 'R' and an 'L' were barely legible due to the fire that now consumed it. Off in the distance she could see the place she once had to call home – or prison. _

'They both seem to fit, don't they..'

_Much to her surprise, fingers from her unoccupied hand clutched grass, something she'd been dreaming about since she was admitted into that place. She was outside. It wasn't just a dream. The dream she'd kept having and the reality she was currently experiencing were almost a complete match. _ 'Besides Lady..'

_Lady. The name seemed to fit for this figure that kept appearing in her dreams. Feminine in curves and voice, but inhuman. Different. Different like her. She was like the others, except not angry or hungry, nor wanting to cause harm. _

'A nice monster is a good way to put it..'

_The reality was slowly starting to soak in. This wasn't a dream. She was quite sure of that. _

_ Sherry made her way through the debris. The atmosphere was uneasy, with a strong sense of danger and uncertainty. The creeping trepidation of loneliness started to cloud her senses. Soft blue eyes began to fill with tears as each step felt a little more hopeless. "Hello?" Desperately looking for any sign of life amongst the bodies she noticed that had been multiplying in numbers along the ground, she called out to the wasteland, wishing for a response to the madness. The tears began to cloud her vision as she fought to wipe them away. _

_'_There has to be someone here..there just has to be..'

_Knees collided with firm grassy dirt, cushioning the blow. Fingernails dug and pulled up grass as tears began to fall like much-needed rain in a desert. She didn't want to be alone. Not again. As all hope began to diminish, a blood-stained gloved hand extended towards her tear-soaked cheek, catching her heartache with a fingertip and wiping it away. Soft blue orbs scaled a silhouetted figure towering over her bathed in a large, billowing sheet-like scarf. Delicate icy eyes met with her own, the hint of purple sparking that fire of hope that had almost extinguished. Without a word, the tall figure held out the hand towards Sherry's, pulling her into a barricade of cloth, blood, and sweat. Trepidation she once had gradually faded into a feel of refuge. The heartbeat only made it all the more real, as arms closed around her in a sense of fortification. _

_'_Lady..'

"Damn..that sounds rough.." The soft light from Claire's lighter illuminated the hint of caring in her eyes that still lay hidden behind thick red lenses. Claire had been through a lot, no doubt. Rae was actually surprised she was sitting here talking to her, feeling more and more guilty by the minute.

_'So be cool about it..you two make a pretty good team after all, don't blow it..'_

Yeah, right. Rae had about as much people skills as a decked-out pencil eraser. Trying to find the right thing to say was like asking a cat to quack. Not happening, but she felt she'd give it her best shot. Moving in closer to her, she cleared her throat in an attempt to make whatever came out of her mouth next sound comforting. "Sorry for attacking your boyfriend.."

_'..Genius.' _

With lack of possibly anything better to say, and the glare she was experiencing from a now slightly peeved chick, she supposed it might have been in good interest to stop talking.

"He wasn't my boyfriend! Why does everyone keep saying that?" Claire just took a leap from calm to a violent shove into annoyed. She couldn't hide the fact that she was still blushing, the evidence slowly building in those now rosy cheeks. Every time she said it, she could feel a little piece of her die inside. They'd been through a lot together, and he went from annoying immature boy to knight in shining armor over the course of a day or two. Being in these situations seemed to change people, sometimes for the better. That change just comes too late, for some.

_'In his case..'_

_'Don't think like that..things happen for a reason..'_

Steve's death wasn't fair. Shit, if life was fair she would be back at college studying and partying. _If'_ was always the factor.

Rae jumped at her answer, trying to regain the calm between them. "Alright, okay..jeez.." Even though the blush was still telling her otherwise, she let it be. The subject was a touchy one, anyway, and Rae didn't need her getting all emotional. Especially now. Raising to her feet, Rae shuffled past some rubble of the small bank they'd taken temporary refuge in, peering through a dusty, half-broken window. Something was nagging at the back of her mind, like a very faint whisper. Trying to concentrate on it, she closed her eyes, trying to drown out any excess noise. It was hard to hear. Her heartbeat was even louder than this.

"So..what about you? What got you all caught up in this mess?" Claire inquired, unknowing of the battle going on in Rae's mind.

"Sh!" A finger made a stab at keeping the silence to try and see if she could catch whatever was echoing in her mind.

Claire grabbed her gun, heading towards the window. Her first instinct was Rae had seen something move, another one of those big brutes would really suck right now. Her eyes scanned the outside. Nothing. This was starting to give her the creeps. "Rae, what is it? I don't see anything.."

"Just be quiet! I can't–" Flustered, she noticed the voice grow louder each time but still just a whisper. It kept echoing in her mind, a voice softer than her own. Fighting to decipher it, she concentrated hard, making out a more familiar tone.

_'Sherry?'_

Eyes widened at the realization. Rae had forgotten all about those abilities. It was hard remembering what happened in Brownsville. Sherry could talk to her, no matter how far apart they were. No other human seemed to have these abilities but Sherry, which made things slightly easier in this type of situation. "Sherry..it's Sherry! C'mon!"

Slightly confused, Claire gathered her things and they darted towards what looked to be a back alley way door, emptying into a small crevice lined with buildings. Lonely moans could be heard off in the distance as the blew past them, popping out anything that was in the way. They were on a mission, and Claire was now getting curious as to the origin of her new friend.

Rubble shifted under the fallen pillars, muscles pulsed and a ferocious roar filled the dank atmosphere, echoing down the desolate streets. The tremendous green behemoth grew from it's wake, pushing the debris from him in a fit of rage, eyes filled with a lust for blood. Gripping strong fists clenched as it tromped after it's prey, preparing for another battle.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ch. 9**

Barry could feel the silence start to saturate the air around them, enough to almost feel it seep into his skin. The grungy layer of sweat and dust collected in a slick oil on the surface of his face. Uncertainty never tasted so salty. This poor girl looked to be on the verge of a major emotional break down, and he had absolutely no idea where they were exactly. Now wasn't a time to panic. He had to remain calm, for the both of them, and hope Claire had either made it out of the city or started searching for them. Taking another glance down at Sherry, he wanted to say something to lighten the situation. Conversation always helped people along in even the most stressful scenarios. His eyes fell on the intricate design on the back of her pink jacket, barely able to make out the picture. It reminded him of a leather bomber jacket Chris had pinned up in the STARS office long ago.

_'For a young lady she sure is quiet..but, you haven't really helped that all too much..' _

It was true. He wasn't really sure what to talk about. Taking a seat next to her, he pulled a small blue rag from one of his vest pockets and began cleaning his old Colt .45 as he finally attempted to create conversation. "Well, Sherry, you are one brave young lady. How old are you?" His eyes met with the back of her head, not expecting a response but still winning the battle against the silence.

Soft golden locks drifted across her back as she turned her head. He was making an attempt to be friendly, it wouldn't have hurt to tune in and pass the time. Trying to force an assertive tone, she turned towards him, awkwardly rubbing her hand with the other. Nervous tendencies always seemed to show ever since she was young. "I'll be twenty-one in a month and a half.." Twenty-one. It was a shock realizing just how much time she'd spent in that facility. Every day was either a medical test or a mental capacity test, she'd almost forgotten she'd even aged. That prison that claimed guardianship of her was nothing more than a giant scam. People were disappearing every day. She only wondered when it would be her time to disappear.

_'You lucked out..thanks to Rae..' _

It was just a normal day until this 'guest' showed up. The halls lit up with gossip. One thing Sherry couldn't explain is why people thought she was one of _ those _people. The rumor was whoever walked out with one of _ those _ people, disappeared into the center atrium of the laboratory and never came back out. Word soon changed and sirens started blaring. Chaos erupted quickly, people began running for their lives, the intercom started calling for backup against a suspected intruder. The day just kept getting better and better. The giant explosion and grabbing Rae's hand were the last things she remembered from that day. It was nothing short of a chaotic Godsend.

_'Mom sent me an angel..' _

Grabbing hold of the locket that hung around her neck, she rubbed it lovingly with a gentle thumb. She understood. Rae was a gift, and as far as she was concerned, more than she could have ever hoped for.

A roar echoed, shattering the lingering silence around them. Gun at the ready, Barry shot upwards to his feet and looked around wildly. It sounded like it had a bit of distance but he could never be too sure about these things. Something darted from the corner of his eye. Something small and fast. A low, menacing growl followed, and soon Barry was staring nose to nose with a virus-ridden canine.

_'Shit..' _

Bearing it's teeth, the dog lunged at Barry, sending him flying backward and tossing his gun. Cupping a hand over the dog's muzzle, he tried fighting it as it clapped it's jaws towards his face, speckles of drool peppering his skin. "Sherry..run!" He cried out, trying to flip the beast off of him. As the words left his lips, gunfire silenced the thing with a solid shot to the temple. It crumpled to the ground next to Barry, lifeless. Barry's eyes followed the shot to see Sherry propped upward, gun aimed and smoking, kneeling as she lowered the gun slowly. A light grin lit up her alabaster face, those bright blue eyes gleaming with satisfaction. All Barry could do was stare. It was safe to say he wasn't expecting that at all, and was even more grateful for her company now. Hell, she'd just saved his life. "Nice shot.." A half smile told her he was thanking her, in his own way. Another low growl came from the corner of the room, hidden in darkness. As they both turned, Sherry pulled up the gun only to get knocked back and pinned by another beastly canine, the gun sliding against the concrete tiles. Whimpering, she braced herself as it readied it's jaws towards her throat lunging.

A small window across from them shattered as glass went flying forward. The diseased mutt yelped in pain as it was slid into a dark crevice and crushed underneath a black blob. A ferocious, guttural growl emitted from the space as they heard the quick snap of bones and a sharp yelp before everything fell silent once more. Barry finally reunited with his gun, pulling Sherry behind him and pointing it towards the black mass that took up a large corner of the room. Moonlight soon began to bathe a tall, lanky figure with silver light,thick caramel spikes trading the richness of color as they shook slightly. Barry could recognize those red lenses a mile away by now. He lowered his gun, nodding towards Rae as Sherry beamed, running over to greet her.

"Rae!" Sherry enveloped her with a wide hug, clinging to her. She had been so happy to see her again, it felt like she hadn't seen her in years even though it was only a few hours. "Are you okay? Where's that other girl? What happened? Are you two okay?" The questions started pouring in as Sherry gave her a full examination, noticing some new cuts and bruises. As always. One would think after seeing this, who was taking care of whom.

"I'm fine..don't worry about it.." Rae smiled, looking down at her and grabbing a shoulder. She could feel her heart pulsing through her body. That was a close call. Almost too close. Separation wasn't a good thing. Especially now.

The sound of heels heavily slamming against asphalt thumped as they got closer, slowing their pace gradually as Claire finally caught up with her. "Rae..Rae! Could you have slowed down just a little?" Trying to regain her breath, Claire met eyes with Barry, any feeling of dread now leaving her completely. They had all reconvened once more, and hopefully the last time. "Oh..huh, you did hear something after all.." At least they weren't on a wild goose anymore. That was getting old. Come to think of it, this whole damn disaster scene she now called life was getting old.

Barry nodded towards Claire, the expression on his face filled with relief as well. "At least we are together again.." He grinned, taking a glance at Sherry and Rae. "Claire, I'm sure you and Rae have already met, I reckon.." He couldn't help but force a laugh. From the looks of things, it seemed like Rae hadn't given her too much trouble. He knew Claire would rip her a new one. The girl did _not _ tolerate immaturity. "This youngin' is Sherry." He said, motioning over to the blonde.

As sherry heard her name, she looked back over at the two, eyes locking on Claire. For a moment, it seemed like her heart had stopped.

_'It can't be the same woman..' _

The jean jacket, the biker ensemble, the pony tail, and those clear-blue all-caring eyes. Sherry couldn't believe it. It was her. After almost a decade, she still remembered Claire. Claire Redfield. The civilian survivor of Raccoon City. The survivor of the hell her father created.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

"It was nearly eight years ago.." That beginning statement always seemed to ignite some sense of dark reminiscence. It was something Claire didn't want to remember, but unfortunately the events were burned so firmly into the back of her memories, it was like it had all happened just yesterday. The first time she'd ever seen a virus victim, pale purple flesh, those soulless eyes pointing towards her as bloody, half-deteriorated fingers outstretched towards her following a pitiful and lonely groan. The unmistakable call of the hunger for flesh haunted her nightmares, lurking in even the shallowest depths of her rest. Raccoon City became hell on Earth, and she considered her party to be lucky they'd made it out with only a few cuts and bruises. Everything happened so fast when the helicopters showed up. There were so many people buzzing around, taking blood samples, asking questions, giving full evaluations on their health and mental being, it made Claire's head spin. That was the last time she'd seen Sherry, as they loaded her into one of the helicopters. The last thing she heard about it was Leon had been brought in to the government for questioning, countless times. That's when he got his job. His new job.

_'We both just..forgot..' _

A part of Claire died a little inside when she admitted it. Neither her nor Leon knew Sherry's exact location, if they were treating her right, what she was going through. She was a kid for Christ's sake. Claire could only imagine just how scared she probably was, with all the confusion. Seeing her again gave her such a jolt, all the memories flooding back instantly. She'd grown into a beautiful young woman.

_'And that jacket..my jacket..she kept it..' _

The embrace made it all the more real as she felt Sherry bury her face into Claire's shoulder, faint tears staining the denim flap of her vest collar. It had been too long.

Sherry pulled away from the warm lock, her crystal blue eyes misty with tears. "I missed you both so much..it was horrible there..Mr. Wesker put me through so many tests..and people kept disappearing everyday..one by one.." An arm swept away some tears as Sherry slid her arm across her eyes, trying desperately to hold it together as much as she could.

"Wait..Mr. Wesker?" Claire inquired, the name catching her instantaneously. That explained a lot. Why wouldn't Wesker want the offspring of his old colleague.

Barry chimed in, assumptions and questions breaking apart in his mind in a wild tangent. "Albert Wesker? As in the chairman to former Umbrella, Wesker?"

A knot erupted in the pit of her stomach. Despite what she wanted to tell them, and probably should tell them, it would have left some plot holes, especially for Rae. It felt like her beginning situation, when she had first arrived at the facility. Scientists and other employees bombarded her with questions about this "specimen" she knew absolutely nothing about. Her entire life from age fourteen to her later teens consisted of this probing for knowledge of something she really did not know.

_'They were asking about Rae..' _

She could remember quite clearly, walking into the kitchen one morning as she was getting ready for school.

_'I was just eleven when she died..' _

Mom was crying at the kitchen sink holding a photo in front of her. She and dad had a huge fight the night before, shouting about something that made no sense to her at such a young age. Dad had said she'd doomed the entire family, and that the "boss" would not be pleased. That morning she'd asked her mother what was wrong, and to her surprise the weeping ceased immediately. An eerie calm caught her mother's expression as she came over to her, squatting down and placing the photo into her shirt pocket. _ 'Your aunt is dead..' _

Those words stuck with her forever. Sherry had to think on it now, it was probably the most devastating and heartbreaking lie her mother had ever told. When she thought about it, she really hadn't lied completely. Her aunt did not exist anymore as she was, but she was still _alive _, in the literal since of the word. She looked nothing like her former self, but she still existed deep within her mannerisms and sense of caring. Sherry knew her before she became this "specimen". So technically, Sherry wasn't really lying when she told them she did not know, right?

_'Clearly..' _

They had started to look impatient. Sherry had no honest idea of what to tell them, other than she'd just forgot. That would have been lame. In either case, the sound of Rae clearing her throat brought the awkward refuge she was hoping for as they all turned their attention back to her.

"I'd hate to break up this heartfelt moment here but..have we decided how we are going to get out of here, and without waking Claire's former Ex-boyfriend?" A quick shove of a fist to the gut displaced that smirk on Rae's face, as she doubled over in pain. Claire gave her a heavy glare before noticing Barry looked a bit confused of the banter between them.

"We ran into uh..something..while we were looking for you two.." Claire attempted to explain it steadily, aiming to not make it sound as bad as Rae had mentioned.

_RAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH! _

A savage roar broke her concentration, and wild looks started firing off every which way. It was strong enough to shake the foundation of the buildings, and it sounded close. Claire caught Sherry in a side glance as she watched the blonde run towards Rae and grasp on to her hand.

Rae nodded to them both, forcefully kicking a back door that looked to empty itself between two buildings, giving a short smile before nudging towards the opening. "Well, ladies and gents, I think that is the universal sign for 'we need to get the hell outta dodge', eh?" As they filed out of the building in a steady sprint, checking their heads and tails, Rae couldn't help but think. They were asking a lot of questions. She could only take a guess as to just how much they knew now, and how much they assumed. The media didn't get enough to cover the entire story of what happened at the facility, and to make things worse, Tricell chimed in and made it a huge deal while keeping certain things to themselves.

_'Like how they are tracking us down..and the real reason..' _

Her head was the one they had on the top of their list. Hilda was another story. And she didn't know where the hell the big green meanie came in. Honestly, she didn't think Tricell was capable of that type of thing, nor had that type of connection.

_'They aren't very bright after all..that was someone else's doing..' _

It still wasn't clear to her exactly why Tricell had been after both of them. They had to be working under someone else, and she was going to get to the bottom of this.


	11. Chapter 11

**Well, I managed to make it past chapter ten. This is definitely exciting. I hope all of you are enjoying this and I am enjoying the feedback I get. I really appreciate it guys. :] Remember, any questions or concerns, please forward them to me. I am open to suggestions as long as they are reasonable. **

**And as a disclaimer, the Resident Evil characters mentioned in this fiction are copyright of Capcom, Hilda Birkin belongs to a friend of mine, and R.A.E belongs to me.~**

**Ch. 11**

It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was supposed to just come quietly, and all would be well. She had the key to immortality, or a good grasp of it, and that girl held the key to the lock.

_'What a disgusting scene..' _

Hilda had watched the whole thing from an adjacent rooftop. The little brat clasping to her like some scared little rat. She had taken everything away from her. Her brother, her job, her _ life _, and now her last living piece of family. She was not going to stand for it. Annette may have brainwashed her own sister and that little rodent, but not Hilda.

_'She got William killed..because of her excessive meddling..and now Karen is slowly being pulled down along with them..' _

The haughty brunette turned up a nose and stomped off, not being able to stomach another second of watching the rat pack try and make their escape. She would pay for her insolence soon enough. No one turned their back on _ him _ and lived to tell the tale. A few blocks down, Hilda noticed the 'pet' had made a full recovery, trudging through the wreckage of the city with a fresh lust for blood.

_'Such a brute..' _

How hard it must have been to realize he was mildly inferior despite his massive bulk. It was almost difficult to watch him without feeling some pity. As far as Hilda was concerned, pity was for the weak. Still, carefully re-evaluating the situation, they might have underestimated Rae's willpower. Yet, she did not kill him. It was definitely something that caught Hilda by surprise. All that power, but so much pity and sympathy for the weak and inferior. It was a waste of such a good specimen.

_'No matter..' _

In this new world order it was kill or be killed, and Hilda knew it was only a matter of time.

Light autumn breezes swept through the streets, tossing loose papers and debris. It kept them all on their toes. If it was hunting them, it was doing an awfully damn good job. The hours seemed to pass on like years. This was a scenario Rae had been all too familiar with.

_'And Sherry..'_

Rae wanted more than anything to be able to have them rest for more than a few hours, without worry. It boiled her blood, but she knew they weren't going to stop until they got their hands on the big prize. At least they couldn't have one without the other, much to her relief. They knew they couldn't control Rae without Sherry's help, and Sherry was useless without her. It made for an interesting game of hide and seek. She could feel her knees buckle slightly under the weight of her own body, the sharp aching of muscles overworked by fatigue screaming through her veins. Despite being completely lost about her true age, she'd felt pretty confident thus far about her physical being. Sliding her back against a vacated van, Rae leaned herself against it, huffing heavily. Sherry positioned herself in front of her, grasping her shoulders as she matched glances with Rae.

"Are you okay?" She couldn't help but sound more concerned. Whatever had attacked them really took a toll on her. Another thought began to cloud her mind. She was mom's _older_ sister after all. Sherry couldn't even begin to imagine just how many years that body had seen. Along with their lack of good rest and rehabilitation, and the things they'd been through, it was a wonder to her that Rae was still able to move. "You look exhausted.." A light frown followed, with a soft alabaster hand running through mismatched tufts of caramel hair clumped together by sweat.

Rae met her hand as it cupped around a cheek. A lazy, half-witted smile told her it was nothing as a short chuckle pursued. "Hey, it's all part of the job.."

Given the circumstances, Claire had to sit and think for a moment about the scene unfolding in front of her. Questions inflated her curiosity to a point where she was almost compelled to ask. Attention adverted to Barry who came running back towards her, radio in hand, with what looked to be good news.

"Claire, they are sending in a few helicopters to a designated extraction point to pick us up.." Hurried hands brought out an oil-stained clothe that now dabbed Barry's forehead, picking up excess sweat. "Bad news is, they won't fly into the city, so the extraction point is going to be set up on the western outskirts.." He continued to pat himself down, taking inventory on exactly how much ammunition he had on him. This was going to be tight, and he knew it. "We have until 9 A.M. sharp to get there before quarantine.."

"Picked up by whom if I may ask?" That soft, chiseled voice had grown stern as Rae approached them, expressionless. The goggles did a lot to hide the feeling in her eyes, which didn't help in many cases. Luckily, this case wasn't one of them.

Barry couldn't help but feel slightly challenged by her pursuit. What did it matter, they were being rescued. He just wanted to get the hell out. Regaining a confident posture, he made sure his gun was loaded and responded after the quick snap of the gun barrel. "Tricell offered to fly us out..what does it matter, someone is willing to help..what's wrong with that?" Barry was taken aback by the smirk, a nasty sneer followed by an icy chuckle.

Collecting her face in a tired, weather-beaten glove, she couldn't help but laugh. The irony of the situation was just overwhelming.

_'Of course they offered..' _

"Nothing, nothing at all.." Rae clapped a hand on his shoulder accompanying a Cheshire cat grin. How would they expect to get out of this one, she was fresh out of ideas. The other concern was the word "quarantine". A term that usually meant you could bend over and kiss your ass goodbye. It was funny when she thought about it. Tricell had obviously interjected his corporation, not to mention a few other people in line, like the military.

_'Oh come on, you should have seen that coming..' _

She hadn't. Even though this was seemingly unexpected, things were starting to fall together fast. Someone knew Rae and Sherry were there. Why else would Tricell intervene so quickly? No military service, no courtesy call from either of their organizations, didn't they think it was a little strange?

_'They don't exactly know the things you do..'_

At least that made more sense. For time reasons, she couldn't reside in this thought process for much longer, primarily because she wanted to live to see tomorrow afternoon.

They set off down the path towards refuge, time nipping at their heels. Life had begun a countdown to destroy the disaster that now claimed this place, and an attempt to bury the events along with it. Sherry took hold of Rae's gloved hand, holding on tight, a look of determination in her glance as she gave a short look towards Rae then readjusted to the road ahead. It was the same look her mother used to give her. It was that very look that changed her life forever.

'_Don't look at me like that..'_

_ "You're making a huge mistake, Karen.." The fear in her voice was palpable, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Sliding a fingertip across the edge of the ID card, Hilda rescued it from the cool tiled floor of Laboratory Unit-B. The anger coming from her pacing partner saturated the air around them. This was a mistake. It wasn't supposed to be like this. _

_ Supple blonde curls bounced with each hard step, tattered ends and frizz coupled the volume of her hair, signs indicating hours or days without good rest. As if the dark circles weren't enough of a clue. What she had just seen tied her stomach up so badly she had an unbelievable urge to vomit. What they were doing was wrong. Morally and naturally wrong. "I didn't sign up for anything like this.." Her voice wavered slightly, shaking to the tempo of her rage. "When I took this job, it was understood we dedicated our lives to the benefit of mankind..not..THAT.." _

_ "This is science, Karen.." Arms outstretched in an attempt to comfort, body language careful not to upset the situation further. "We are simply trying to find a way to make people's lives better, physically and mentally..can you imagine a world where everyone shared super strength, longevity, no disease, no sickness.."_

_ "You're making something that IS NOT human.." Karen's voice shook the chrome walls of the lab, rattling the reinforced glass. This was an outrage. And to make matters worse, she was now roped into all this. "You're making war machines.." She could feel the truth sting her, but it was out there. They had underestimated her at the corporation. She wasn't as naive as they'd hoped. She watched as the brunette's expression quickly grew into an ominous sneer. _

_ Hilda tossed the card back at her, a slip of venom in her gesture. She was too narrow-minded to understand what they were offering. This breakthrough in medical technology was more than they could have ever hoped for, financially and otherwise. She just couldn't see it. "So what are you going to do? Once you turn your back to this company, you're gone. There is no "budding out". You're in too deep now and you know it..that's why you want out.." Taking a glance at the picture frame propped upon the blonde's desk, proudly displaying her sister and niece in a jubilant, glowing setting, she swiftly slipped a hand across the back of it, knocking it to the floor with a small wince as the glass shattered. "Consider yourself dead.." Those last words hit her sister-in-law hard, along with a rough shoulder bump as she made her way out of the lab, steaming. _

_ Letting the situation soak in, a light sigh made everything all the more clear. "Way ahead of you, Hilda.." _

_ 'Do you remember, the last thing I'd said to you..you have no idea..'_

A cold breeze caught her off guard, the rage slowly creeping through her veins restoring her fleeting warmth, and then some. She should have known better. She should have known not to turn her back on the most powerful man alive. It was only going to bring grief to everyone she came in to contact with. Watching her suffer was both heart-wrenching and satisfying at the same time.

_'She abandoned you..no mercy..'_

Those words fueled the hatred, but hatred always led to one's downfall one way or another...


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12

The scene was all too familiar. Running through dank, empty streets with nothing to listen to but the sound of a heart on maximum overdrive thumping in rhythm to the aimless calls from the poor souls who weren't so lucky. This was getting to be repetitive, but if nothing else, it meant she was ready this time. Rae really couldn't bear the thought of how long it was going to take them to move such a distance, her legs were already giving her grief. She didn't exactly make a full recovery, and that was just the plan. They were both wounded, and weak, the odds had to be fair after all. However, calling in that big baddie was out of bounds.

_'You aren't playing fair anymore, Hilda..so I won't either..'_

A light grimace mixed into a catty sneer, ignoring the aches of her body for a moment to run this through her head. If Tricell wanted them alive, she had a high doubt that they were going to "fire the torpedoes" before they saw Sherry walk out of the hot zone. The thought wrought a depressed laugh from her. Their logic was certainly amusing.

_'Then again, they could just blow the shit up and rummage through the rubble of the aftermath..don't be too coy, keep your wits about you..'_

It didn't stop her from wondering just how far she could push before they would pull the plug. The best guess was a day or so before they were presumed dead. The only other problem with that was, Hilda wasn't with Tricell. Come to think of it, Rae didn't know who she was operating under, unless..

_'Couldn't be, Umbrella collapsed and he went under with them..or did he..'_

This was becoming more and more perplexing by the minute. Either way, if she wanted to make this work, she had to keep her head straight. There was no margin for error.

Her palm was sweaty, Sherry could tell she was deeply contemplating something. That stern, stoic sense of silence made it all the more clear. They needed a plan. Despite their short time together, Sherry knew Rae well enough to know she was always ready with a plan. She couldn't help it. Touch just didn't do it anymore, she had to see it with her own eyes. Looking back every so often to make sure Rae was still behind her, it had become a habit. Sherry was sure Rae could tell when she attempted to hide her fear. So many people had appeared and disappeared out of her lives so quickly, it was only natural for her to worry. Rae was all she had left, and she wasn't about to lose her. "Rae, how long til sunrise? Rae..?"

_"Karen.."_

_ Annette placed her baby girl safely in a padded crib that lined the end of the bed of her sister's bedroom. Another work day was starting. Work she used to love. Funny how things changed so abruptly, especially after Wesker appointed William as head researcher on the G Project. It was like William had become a different man. He was no longer the man she married. Things were getting out of hand, and she knew it. Their family was slowly unraveling. If she wanted to do something for Sherry, now would be the time to do it. The plan was perfect, getting Karen to consent to it was going to be another hump. "I have something I need to talk to you about.." She watched her sister move into the room, holding a mug of coffee. As if it were any other evening. Her heart sank a little when they made eye contact, the guilt in what she was about to ask of her sister slowly pressing on her nerves. Mustering up some courage, she took a seat on the edge of the bed, letting out a heavy sigh. This __wasn't going to be easy. "William..is worrying me, he's hardly ever home, he brings work home with him when he does come home, it's like he's a totally different person.." Tears started catching in the corners of her eyes, fighting to break loose. "He came home in the middle of the night last week, yammering on about some breakthrough he made with the G-Project, and how Umbrella was planning to steal it..our whole team has gone mad ever since you left, Karen..it's like we don't exist anymore..everyone is acting different, something doesn't feel right, I'm starting to fear for our lives.." Her voice started to choke, the thoughts in her mind acting like razor blades to her heart. "There's been a lot of talk hovering around lately..because of the experiments being done at the mansion..I feel like we've gotten too far into this hole to pull away now..that is why I'm asking you if we can conduct one last experiment together.." _

_ Karen raised a brow towards her sister. The news didn't come to much of a surprise to her. Umbrella was slowly corroding from the inside out. You couldn't trust your fellow co-workers anymore, and more people were disappearing every day. She was lucky she left when she did, the way it sounded. It was distressing that she couldn't say the same for her sister and her family. As for this experiment, she was starting to become a little skeptical of her sister's good judgment. _

_ "You're Sherry's godmother..and you know I wouldn't have it any other way..if something happened to me and William-" Annette stopped, hesitating before being able to finish her sentence. She felt a hand glide against her own, holding back more tears. _

_ A grin quickly put to rest any doubts she had before. Karen walked over to her niece who was sound asleep, unable to hear the of dark contract they were about to make. "I understand, Annette..if it's for Sherry..I will consent.." Not knowing exactly what she was agreeing to, Karen felt a heavy lump catch in her throat. The things she'd seen, those experiments, they didn't deserve it. If Annette was planning something with that kind of dedication, she could tell it wasn't going to end up that way. "If the experiment fails.."_

_ Annette wiped her eyes, the scientist in her perking interest to her sister's inquiry. "Due to my research there is only an eight percent window for failure..You're of my blood, our DNA is the same..when I ran the tests, there were no mutations..the only downside is we'd have to go through a prolonged gestation period.." That was the next worry. Annette wasn't sure if Umbrella was going to snoop around or not, but since Karen had resigned, it wouldn't be like they'd be looking for her. Asking her sister to completely vanish from the world without a trace was hard enough, she wouldn't doubt turning her into one of their "experiments" was going to be any easier. "Please Karen..you're my only hope, I don't know who else to turn to and time is running out..I have no doubts that if something happens, they'll be after Sherry..please..protect my daughter.."_

_ The soft glow from a streetlight outside reflected against the glistening tears running down Annette's face. She was serious, and from how it looked, she'd done her research thoroughly. Karen couldn't recall a time when Annette was unprepared for something. She could guess her sister had been planning this talk for quite some time. This was a lot to take in. There were so many complications with the G-Project. _

_'What do you have to lose, Umbrella will make it their duty to see that you stay out of a lab, and what will happen when they figure out you knew about the G-Project?'_

_Karen trusted her sister. More than any other person on the planet. That made her decision. "Alright..I'll have to gather some things and get rid of them..I'll meet you at my old office after hours.." Karen took one more glance down at her baby niece, swallowing her fear and replacing it with courage. "Annette, I hope for her sake, you're right.."_

_ "Rae! RAE!"_

"RAE!"

A metal pole had collided with the side of her face as she swung backwards, sliding against the pavement. The stinging, throbbing pain echoed it's way through her body as Rae looked toward her assaulter.

_'The HEAD, WHY is it ALWAYS the fucking HEAD?..'_

He was back. The massive green beast trudged towards her, thirsting for the thrill of battle once again. Eyes darting every which way, Rae finally spotted Sherry and the others behind him, trying to grab his attention once more. Her eyes narrowed as the brute growled, making a motion to slam his weapon through her stomach. With a swift, forceful lunge, she plunged her legs into his stomach, sending him flying a few feet backward, almost toppling over. Utilizing his diffidence to her advantage, Rae hopped to her feet, and if it wasn't enough, twisted a smile and taunted the poor disproportional being with a flick of her fingers. "Back for more huh, they sure don't make them like they used to.." Running back into battle, she bounded upwards and over his head, knocking him forward as she landed behind him. A snarl of rage issued another assault with the battle-scarred light fixture, swinging it madly towards his target in hopes of knocking her out cold. As for Rae, this was getting to be slightly entertaining, even fun.

_'It's not going to be any fun when that thing knocks you into next week..keep your head on..'_

He prepared a cross-chop straight down the middle towards the top of her head, getting caught off guard when it stopped instantaneously in her hands. Shaking under the impressive strength he exerted, Rae had managed to fling him backward, his face meeting asphalt.

_'Yeah, doesn't feel so good does it, prick..'_

That cocky tone didn't linger for long, as he was already up and back for more. Heavy green hands threw snatching claws towards her, Rae now realizing why he'd kept this as a weapon as she batted his attack away. The thing was pretty damn useful. Feeling defeated, he lunged his head towards her face, catching the pole in his jaws and clamping shut, shearing it in two. The momentary pause that left them locking glances triggered a short memory that shortly resurfaced, instantly matching his face to a photo she'd seen while rummaging through a vacated office building that once belonged to a branch of Umbrella.

_'That kid..'_

"C'mon! We have to help her!" Sherry shouted, pulling a grenade from the tiny pack hanging from her waist. She felt Claire's hand wrap around her wrist tightly, holding her back. Without a second's thought, Sherry shoved her away, a determined leer in her expression.

Claire staggered, getting to her feet. She and Barry were both astounded by her blind courage. Even more so by watching the two fight. Claire knew something wasn't adding up, and now she had a witness. This 'Rae' was either doped up on steroids, or there was seriously something wrong. "Sherry! Stay here! We'll try and help!" Claire tried calling out to her, apparently falling on deaf ears as she watched Sherry turn her back to her.

"No..I'm fighting too.."Sherry said sternly, snatching the pin vigorously and tossing it at the behemoth's feet.

Claire flung herself towards Sherry, shielding her from the blast as they fell against the cold street. There was going to be no negotiation. Claire prepared her gun before picking themselves up and dusting off, darting into battle with Barry on one side and Sherry on the other. Something she thought she'd never see happen.

Rae twisted and squirmed to avoid the attacks of her comrades, along with big green meanie's barrage of fists, her window of safety getting extremely narrow. Before she knew it, Claire was in the tangle of arms alongside her, taking shots when she could. Rae figured that Claire thought if there were two of them, he'd have a tougher time choosing which one to go after first. If they had gotten any closer, it would have been called a ballroom dance. Anger overtook him as he slammed a fist into the ground between them, the aftershock knocking them apart. Rae shook her head, regaining her stance as she checked on Claire's status.

_'Shit..'_

He'd grabbed a leg and began dragging her towards him as Claire struggled for her gun that lay just outside her reach. Rae darted forward, knife out, latching onto his arm and slamming the knife deep into his flesh. Flailing, he let go of Claire and paid no attention as she scrambled towards her gun, getting out of his reach. With a swift smile, Rae nodded as she saw Claire slip away from him. He kept flailing his arms in a blind rage, making it hard to pinpoint his exact movements in order to dodge them. Underestimating a jump, she conflicted with the ground once more as a hand full of claws raked across her back, the dust cloud from the grenade explosion not doing her line of sight much justice. Chubby fingers locked themselves around her torso as she was lifted up to meet him face to face.

"Shit! We need to do something now!" Barry called out to them, plugging a few more bullets into its back. Regular weapons seemed to rub off like mosquito bites to this thing. They were running out of options, and their new friend was about to be lunch.

Sherry pulled out another grenade, along with some tape, out of the couple rolls she had left. Wildly scrambling to wrap the tape around the grenade, she pulled the pin and aimed for its back. Tossing it at full speed, she hit her mark as it stuck to his scaly hunch.

Rae spent a second looking into the demon's eyes, before it locked its jaws onto her shoulder, wrenching and ripping against the tissue for that delicious taste of blood. "Aaagggghhh!" A rattled scream of agony gave Claire the courage to take immediate action, after seeing as how their weapons were useless.

"Steve, STOP!" Claire screamed, astounded as the carnage ceased immediately. That red head turned to meet eyes with the Redfield, before having a chunk of its back blown away.

Stammering, he let Rae's limp body slip through his fingers and fall to the ground with a thud. A lens from her goggles shattered on impact. The three watched as the savage fell backward, defeated once more. A crack of thunder called upon a light rain as water began to fall from the heavens.

Sherry stood, staring at Rae's lifeless body. "Rae.." She wanted to vomit. This overwhelming sense of solitude slowly engulfed her like a dark shroud, swallowing every bit of hope she had left. Barry rushed past her, calling them over to help him. The world around her started to die, sound started to fall silent, as if being drowned by the oncoming rain. She watched as Claire rushed over to his side, putting their strength together to pick her up as her wound gushed torrents of blood. Tears collected in the corners of her eyes.

_'No..no..'_

Thunder trembled the skies as rain started to pour in buckets. She followed the two into a small gas station a few blocks down, trying to escape the rain. All Sherry could do was watch as Claire ripped at her tattered clothes, pressing gauze and paper towels against the wound frantically to try and stop the bleeding. Barry began taking apart store shelves and lining them against the windows and doors, fully convinced they were not going to get any further tonight. Pulling out flashlights and lanterns from their plastic protective packaging, he made an attempt to give Claire as much light as possible as they fought to try and seal her wounds before she lost too much blood.

Claire placed a few loaves of bread underneath Rae's head to prop her upward, trying to dress the wound as fast as she could. It had torn through muscle, and started to blacken the tissue around it. The same question ran through her mind over and over as she watched Rae's face, removing the busted goggles and now being able to see her full face for the first time.

_'Why..'_

Being caught off guard, an alabaster hand plunged a needle into Rae's stomach, Claire instinctively shoving it away as an empty syringe slid against the dirty tile floor. Her eyes locked on to Sherry as she lashed out wildly. "Why..Why did you do that?" Claire held back the broken hesitation in her voice, unable to fully understand or comprehend why.

The two watched, bewildered, as Sherry withdrew into a sitting position at Rae's feet, hugging her knees and resting her head against them. "You'll see.."


	13. Chapter 13

Ch. 13

_ 'Karen...Karen..'_

Stirring, a tight constriction strengthened as her muscles pulsed from the sudden burst of life. She was alive. Slightly astonished, Rae's eyes slowly cracked open to reveal faint light pointing upward, displaying ornate patterns along the ceiling of all shapes and sizes. Looking to the side she saw a few flashlights pointed upward as they littered the ground around her. It took her a minute to realize she was missing part of her shirt, along with other things. For the first time in a long time she could see another color besides a tint of red. Looking to the other side of her, she spotted her goggles. The lens on the right side had busted into shards, only half present at the time.

_'Well..isn't that..wonderful..-owe'_

In an attempt to prop herself up using her elbows, she had noticed a small amount of weight on her stomach. Disgruntled, she looked down to see Claire resting across her midsection, face buried into crossed arms as she rose and fell with Rae's breathing.

_'I figured...huh..'_

The ten pounds of bandage that now wrapped around her entire upper body seemed like her handy work. Then again, she had to be grateful. They could have let her bleed to death and left her to die. It took her a minute to realize just what had gone on since she passed out. She remembered fighting along side Claire, dead-set on sending that baggage of green bulge running home.

_'Then you took a dive for that human..why did you do that..'_

_'He would have killed her..'_

_'He would have killed YOU, and he got pretty damn close don't you think?'_

_'It was for–'_

That wasn't true. Sherry wasn't behind enemy lines, shaking hands with beast man. She knew exactly why she did it. Admitting it was another story. It was the same reason why she'd hit the emergency evacuation alarm in the facility near Brownsville. It was the same reason she'd almost gotten herself smashed under that flying hunk of metal. It was the same reason she agreed to keep Sherry safe at all costs. Human life needed to be preserved. It was a precious gift, and together, they had the key to do just that.

Movement awoke her from a dream she'd been having. A dream far away from this hell, where she and Chris were enjoying a nice day on the lake. The warmth from the distant memory melted away as if being washed away from the rain outside. The tepid light from the flashlights brought her back to the little gas station they'd taken temporary refuge in. Claire couldn't remember what she had been doing before she fell asleep. She was exhausted. As warm, smooth skin slid underneath her fingertips, she felt a tingling sensation rattle her spine. Warmth spread through her body like a much-needed cure. Looking down, she moved her hand to reveal a navel with a shining scar going through it. Eyes followed the trail to another – three – wrapping around to the back. Fingers followed them to the bandages that began lining the torso and heading upward across the bust.

_'Rae!'_

Shaggy, wet tufts of hair lightly covered her forehead and face as Claire scanned her. Taking a brief look around to everyone else, it seemed like they'd all had the same idea. They were all exhausted. Crystalline eyes met with Rae's body once more, scanning her patch job. Despite her jeans and matching jacket now covered in blood, she was happy to see it wasn't all for naught as she watched Rae's chest slowly rise and fall. She was alive. _They_ were alive. Sliding a hand across the floor to position herself properly, she jumped when the goggles were knocked sideways. She'd almost forgotten they'd took a considerable amount of damage. After all that commotion about removing them, to have them break must have been karma's way of biting Rae in the ass. It was now or never. Careful fingers tangled themselves in mismatched bangs as Claire brushed some hair aside, eager to see her entire face this time out of curiosity's sake.

_'Curiosity may have killed the cat, but I don't give a damn..'_

Despite most of her upper body being a complete train wreck, her face was surprisingly flawless besides a fresh cut along the side of her face. She looked rather young, guessing anywhere between early and late twenties. She didn't look a day over thirty. Inspecting on, something caught Claire's eye. A symbol of dots lay just under her ear lobe. It looked almost like a circle, if she connected the dots correctly. Even more so, an octagon. While giving it a closer look, she felt a stir, seeing Rae turn her head before looking up at her. As the light illuminated that tint of dark blue, Claire noticed the pupil getting smaller, and thinner. Moving in for a closer look, trying not to creep Rae out too much as she hovered over her, the pupils began stretching vertically. Frustrated, Claire pulled a small key-chain light from a vest pocket, aimed, and hit the button. The pupil had stretched into a thin slit in less than a second, reflecting flecks of purple near the middle.

_'What the..?'_

Jumping backwards, she couldn't help but let out a small gasp. She'd hit the cashier desk behind her with a loud thud, causing the others to rouse. Grabbing her gun she quickly pointed it at Rae, a determined and somewhat feared air to her voice.

Throwing a hand out in front of her, Rae winced slightly at the pain but ignored it for time reasons. It looked as though Claire was about to have a mental break down. "Please, don't! I can explain!" She said quickly, in a whispering tone as to not awaken the others.

Claire narrowed her eyes, pulling the hammer back while backing away slowly. "Yeah? You got ten minutes.." She growled, venom present in her words. She nudged her head towards the back part of the store, motioning for Rae to get a move on as the clock slowly ticked away.

The two sat, back to back, as Rae let out a huge sigh before taking a sip from a water bottle she'd pilfered from the fridge section of the convenient store. This was not going to be easy, but since Claire didn't really seem like the type to just shoot and ask questions later, Rae really had to count her blessings with this one. Confiding in someone wasn't _that_ bad, or she'd hoped so. "I'm sure you've heard about the G-virus..William Birkin's gift to Umbrella Corp.." Rae settled her eyes on the dirty tile floor beneath them, wondering if there was any easier way to explain this. "About twenty years ago I became a test subject for the G-virus.."

_That was the last of it. Tax papers dating all the way back to late high school years, ID cards, licenses, everything Karen could think of linking back to her existence on this planet. It was hard watching years of her life being burned away, like burning memories. Tomorrow night was when Karen Anderson would be permanently erased from the world. Everything was riding on the R.A.E Project being a success, if not for the sake of her niece's safety, but for the assurance that there was a sense of benevolence that could be accomplished within these experiments that played with the design of a higher power. Something that had a chance to surpass the T-002 to T-103 series in strength and intelligence, but also keep a human form along with emotions and a sense of conscience. It was exceptional, and dangerous. Karen hoped for her sake the project went as planned. They didn't need anymore mishaps with the media so far up their asses. _

_ Minutes passed on like hours. The physical was the least of her favorite things. A few more tests and it was off to the gestation chamber, locked away deep within the bowels of the underground labs beneath the streets of Raccoon City. It was almost fool-proof. Even if it wasn't, there was no turning back now. _

_ Annette helped her sister into the pod, removing her medical robe and hooking her into the respirator. The first series of doses were delivered, just below Karen's right ear. Then came a heavy sedative. Annette hesitated before pressing the needle into her sister's arm, giving her an apologetic look. _

_ "Don't look at me like that...you're making me worry.." Karen grinned, trying to lighten the grim atmosphere that caused the stale silence between them. She knew her sister was nervous. Looking her in the eyes for the last time, Karen interlaced her fingers within Annette's free hand as the pod began filling itself with embryonic fluid. "Everything will be fine..you'll see.." With that, the sedative sank into her veins and ran it's course as the pod sealed shut. _

_ Walking over to the viewing window, Annette peered in, smiling as she was greeted by a hand against the thick glass. She placed her hand against the same exact spot, watching her sister slowly drift away as the hand inched downward, disappearing from sight. Sealing the viewing window, she set the date and time for the data analysis reader as a gentle smile slowly faded. Her sister's last words to her echoing through her mind over and over again. "No, Rae..I won't.."_

"That's about all I remember, waking up and finding a lab that had been completely blown to bits.." A hand made to massage her chin slightly, in order to keep a straight face. No, it wasn't the entire story, but it was enough to satisfy the Redfield girl which had fallen silent halfway through.

When Rae had mentioned the decimated lab, memories resurfaced of a young Sherry Birkin along side her as she fought off G-virus William. Claire let the information soak in a for a few more moments, unable to think of something to say. When Claire thought of the G-Virus, she didn't think of this calm, collected human-looking being talking with her. This was a lot to take in.

Rae got to her feet, stretching lazily as she gave Claire a hand up. Two two stood, Rae looking down at Claire while holding a soft smile. "If you would..I'd like to keep this our secret for now.." Rae nodded towards Barry who was still sound asleep. Giving her a subtle wink, she stalked off to find a replacement shirt among the store's limited goods. "And don't worry..I'm not contagious.." The hint of sarcasm seemed the lighten the mood completely.


	14. Chapter 14

**Ch. 14**

Time was ticking, inching towards what could possibly be an escape or an elaborate trap. As Rae continued to piece it together with optimism, the pessimistic underlining violently beat any sliver of hope that this was an actual rescue and not an abduction. She knew better. The facts just didn't add up. She wouldn't expect either of them to see it like that but, she knew she was going to have a hard time convincing them otherwise. Especially if they didn't know the whole story yet.**  
**_'Isn't that your fault?'_**  
**Rae grimaced, flipping a mental finger at her subconscious. They would understand, right? A bio-genetically engineered family member taking care of her only niece, traveling around the world to see the sights, with people chasing after them for no apparent reason whatsoever.**  
**_'Sounds legit..right..'_**  
**Of course not. They wouldn't be the first people to ask questions. Hell, given the trench coat-like scarf and goggles she was surprised that no one had reported her for being shady. Given that half the city of Brownsville evacuated before they arrived and the other half left for dead or worse, it wouldn't have made much of a difference what anyone thought, nor were they sticking around just to ask.**  
**That cool jolt shook her as the water hit her face. A heavy rain was still pounding against the roof of their fuel station stronghold, held on temporary reserve until they could find a map, a course of action, and in Rae's case, some replacement eye wear. The memory stung her viciously, as she reluctantly gazed into the spittle-speckled mirror adorning a makeshift closet sink. Those bright, cat-like bluish-purple eyes stared back at her, as if mocking her very existence. She glared back, splashing water against the mirror to distort the view. Unfortunately, that distorted figure was a white lie until the water cleared. She was still, in fact, altered.**  
**_'Shut up..'_**  
**She wasn't like them. She had control over her mutations, her urges. She was advanced for the most part, but for how long? The explosion of the labs had ruptured her pod, interrupting her gestation period. To top it all off, she was bitten by something else. Something other than a T-virus carrier. He was too big to be a T-virus victim. A tyrant maybe? One of the T-003 class stages she'd seen paperwork for. Something didn't seem right. Replaying the scene in her mind, as she came eye to eye with him before he locked his jaws onto her shoulder, he seemed determined to rip her to shreds. The only thoughts flashing through her mind at the time were Claire's words about his former self. How he was just another victim. Rae froze, and thus resulting cross-contamination on a gradual scale. The only current symptoms she could think of was she was exhausted, but that was a given. If anything did come up though, she'd be putting their lives on the line.**  
**_'Don't think like that..you're fine..'_**  
**She barked at her subconscious, pushing the sink's knob forcefully to cease the groans from the rusting pipe system underneath. Snatching some sunglasses off one of the shelves as she exited she quickly slipped them on. Given her mutations, the darkened lenses didn't do much to her sight, and yet they still covered up her abnormalities quite well. All in all, it was still better than having everything tinted red.**  
**Slipping back behind the cash register, Rae rummaged the shelves underneath for supplies. If this was going to be their only stop, it was wise to stock up as much as possible. So far, all she could find was a pocket first aid kit, some tape, and a chewed pencil with a missing eraser. From the looks of things, it seemed like a few people had the same idea given the mess and lack of stock. Heaving a heavy sigh, she pushed herself back up, abandoning her scavenger hunt that had turned up nothing but a few bandages–**  
**_**–**__'Shit!'_**  
**She flew backward after coming up to meet a grizzly face and sharp green eyes. The man couldn't help but chuckle as he saw Rae almost climbing the wall behind her, heart throbbing out of her chest. Glaring at him from her perch on a disfigured bucket against a group of shelves that were now trashed from the sudden outburst, she slowly came down with a swift jump and snatched the bandages from the floor that she had dropped out of surprise. A curse escaped from under her breath as she shook her head at his amusement from scaring her half to death, rehabilitating herself once he cleared his throat before initiating conversation.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle ya..just wanted to see if you were alright.." His tone was level, almost quizzical. She'd taken a serious blow, and whatever was in that syringe Sherry had shoved into her gut was working wonders. Usually the signs would have started showing. They'd been out for nearly three hours.

"I'm fine..just tired.." She forced a smile, ignoring a strong pain that erupted from her gut.

"Alright, we're gonna be headin' out soon, grab whatever you can find an' let's saddle up.." Barry returned the gesture, looking her over one last time, slightly confused but not willing to press the subject.

_'Ugh, so sick..why so sick..' _

Rae watched his husky figure disappear into an aisle to the far left of her and dropped down to her knees as softly as she could, feeling them buckle underneath a tremendous urge to vomit. Shaking, she clutched her arms around her abdomen and greeted the floor with her forehead, cringing from the white hot pain. There was something wrong. Very wrong. This pain was worse than before. Her body locked up as she fought to stand, biting back at the aching wail of her muscles, climbing to her feet and straightening her face to reclaim that stoic disposition.

_'It's nothing..don't forget your main objective..'_

Right. Sherry was first priority over her own safety, and part of that responsibility was making sure she was alive enough to counterattack Hilda's constant advances.

A thick fog steadily rose from the streets, the dim light of the moon mixed with the fluorescent glow of flickering streetlights. The massive green bulk lay in a heap in the middle of what used to be a rather busy four-way intersection that now sat in ruin. The silence was almost as thick as the fog that blanketed the ground, until a low painful growl echoed between the buildings, followed by the sound of cement cracking under weight. The creature pushed itself up, stumbling before regaining enough balance to stand. Eyes opened, not piercing red and fierce, but instead a silvery shade of blue.

_'Where..where am I..'_

Heavy footsteps began to drag against the asphalt like tree trunks being rooted and replaced. It felt as such, like moving a walking tank. Memories bombarded that sliver of sanity that finally caught a flame after surviving on embers. He could finally think, after being in a sense of solitude for what felt like decades, trapped in the subconscious thoughts he'd held onto for years since the virus had completely taken over his body. Things came flooding back, unfortunately nothing that told him where he was or how he got there in the first place. Scanning the ground under him, he caught sight of his reflection in a large puddle, staring at the hulking green figure in disbelief. He was still a monster.

_'Is that..blood?'_

A deep shade of crimson leaked from his bottom lip, joining a larger puddle as it hit the ground. He had to hold back the urge to hurl. The idea that he was eating someone or rather–some _thing_ – bothered him. The other part of him, the part that had stolen his body, enjoyed the gore that covered most of his face as it sent out a snake-like tongue to lap it up like soup. He couldn't control it; at least not yet. That savage craving for gore overwhelmed this new state of mind he'd finally gained control of. It was a start, but how long before it changed again was the bigger question. He decided to count his blessings, trumping off in a direction. Good or bad, he figured this was a good turn for the best. Steve Burnside was making a comeback, and there would be hell to pay.


	15. Chapter 15

**Ch. 15**

Dawn had started breaking through that looming violet celestial sphere, displaying a brilliant array of colors starting from the eastern side and stretching as far west as the eye could see. The scene was calming, and would be more so if she'd not known it was marking the final countdown for quarantine. Claire had kept up pace with their new comrade, helping Rae push Barry along every so often. The group was tired, famished, and long overdue for rest. The sight of the helicopters and flares just a few miles ahead of them gave her a new-found strength to keep going, motioning for the rest to follow quickly. "There's the extraction point, just a bit more walking." She tried to breath hope into the rest of them, keeping a positive bead on things besides the fact that they were pretty much walking out of a disaster unscathed. This was too easy. Almost unrealistically easy. Her mind couldn't help but wander back to the whereabouts of their green nemesis. Distant memories began to resurface as her mind floated away, taking the sound of reality with it.  
"You okay?" Rae's sudden burst of concern snapped her back as she nonchalantly brushed the battered gloved hand from her shoulder.

"I'm fine.." Claire answered hurriedly, the dark reflection of the lie bouncing back at her from those dark sunglasses. At an attempt to be more reassuring, Claire threw on a lazy grin as she looked at the blonde strapped to her back. "Besides, you have enough to worry about. I'm a tough girl, I can take care of myself."

Rae slowed down next to her, keeping her steps in sync with Claire's as they walked the final mile to their destination. A friendly tone lingered in her voice, carrying on with the light banter that they seemed to play within every other conversation. "Oh, I don't doubt that.." Rae said, with a half smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of pure happiness stretching across Sherry's face, who had been riding on her back for the remainder of their trip. The smile quickly faded as they passed the first set of flares, coming closer into contact with the military outpost. Something didn't feel quite right. The helicopters, the trucks, even the tents displayed the Tricell logo. An unsteady feeling emerged from the pit of her stomach as they slowly entered the camp. Something was wrong. This felt like a trap, and they were just walking into it.

Barry had waved to one of the men that strayed from a small group of five, who were all dressed in white bio-hazard suits. They had no weapons, but were staring at the small group apprehensively. As Barry approached the man, he slowed down, watching handcuffs appear as if they manifested out of thin air. A confused half grin hid in his expression as Barry took a small step back. Were they arresting them? "What? What is this?" He questioned, as he was quickly met with another suited man that started disarming and restraining him. They worked together to handcuff him, and pretty soon the same was happening to Claire, at which time she'd let out a disgruntled cry, struggling for answers.

"Hey, what the hell? What are you doing?!" Claire barked, rivaling the strangers strength to try and break free, only to be handcuffed by a third member in white and forced to the ground.

"Rae, watch out!" Sherry tugged at her shoulder as another went to lunge for her, unsuccessfully turning up empty-handed as he fell in a heap against the dew-beaded grass. It was a trap, and now Tricell had them right where they wanted them.

The group slowly multiplied, closing in on the two as the others dragged Barry and Claire off to the sidelines, disappearing into one of the tents. They were surrounded. Backing away and watching them at all angles, Rae tried to keep her distance, a low growl emanating from her throat. She was going to have to fight. Being utterly exhausted, she didn't know how much she could do at this time, but she was willing to fight until she fell. Adjusting Sherry, her arms latched tightly around her slender legs as Rae narrowed her eyes at the group closing in on them fast. "Hang on tight.." She muttered, and took a step forward. Her bright blue eyes began to glow a fierce shade of cerulean, piercing the dark tint of her shades. A few of the men began to back up slowly until there were only three left, circling them like vultures.

A roar like nothing they'd ever heard before penetrated the camp like a hurricane gust, toppling over a few men and some of their structures, including the tent where they had stored Claire and Barry. Soon after that, one of the assailants had been launched across the camp, crumbling to Barry's feet. A wide, indented footprint had made quite an impression into his chest, blood splotches slowly forming around the edges and staining the white suit. He looked as though he'd been hit with a battering ram. A violent cough erupted from him as he attempted to pull himself away from the battle, still alive but thoroughly incapacitated. Rae lunged, full force into another one, knocking him sideways into the air and crashing into a pile of metal chests. As she rounded on the third, more started to pour from the shadows and into the grassy clearing, armed with battle rifles. Before she could make a move, a single gunshot filled the air and a blanket of silence drowned the tiny arena as all eyes met a slender young female.

"Well, well, well..what do we have here? Quite the meeting if I do say so myself.." Icy, emotionless eyes fell upon Rae as she slowly lowered Sherry to the ground, staying close to her. Excella took a few steps towards them, a catty grin stretched across her delicate porcelain cheeks. "Where are my manners? My name is Excella Gio-"

"Clearly my wish has come true!" Rae dropped to her knees immediately, trudging forward and scooping up one of Excella's hands, cradling it like a newborn. "After all this searching, they've finally bestowed an angel upon me..thank goodness!" Rubbing the alabaster hand across her weather-beaten cheek, Rae made to place a light kiss atop her palm before getting yanked away by two operatives in black. By this time, Excella's grin had contorted into a look of pure disgust, shaking her hand vigorously as if she'd seen a nasty bug. As Rae let out a plea for the two men to let her go so she could protect her "angel", one of the Tricell trucks took flight across the clearing, doing a few rolls before finally meeting the earth with a large crash. Claws shredded through a tent, ripping it clean down the middle as a giant hulking mass of green stepped through, blood dripping from its jaws. Letting out a blood-thirsty roar, the beast stomped towards the group. In the split second of panic, the two men in black had lost their captive just as quickly as they'd captured her, as soon another battle began as the monstrosity flew towards the right after getting tackled in the side by a brown and red blur. "Don't worry my sweet I have everything under control!" Rae shouted from atop the creature, holding a tent pole against its neck. Before Rae could locate the nymph, she'd disappeared, calling from a ladder that hung from a helicopter.

"I'd love to stay and chat, darling, but it looks like you have your hands full with more suiting company.." Excella added a smug laugh as she motioned for the helicopter to take off, leaving the group to their most certain demise.

Watching her take off, Rae soon felt thick solid finger wrap around her torso as she was slung into another tent. Thankful that the mixture of cloth and plastic had broken her fall, she quickly grabbed the sheet-like fabric and tossed it over the creature, its spiked shoulder shredding holes into it as it started to panic. What was once a bustling outpost soon turned into a ghost town, with a few operatives running for the hills. Rae jumped as soon as a hand latched around her forearm, meeting eyes with Sherry. She'd successfully untied the others, seeing Claire and Barry standing next to her. Barry was giving her a quizzical glance, as if she'd grown an extra head and limbs. It was unsettling, seeing as how he was the only one of the group that didn't know of Rae's alterations. She didn't have time to think of that now. Pushing them back farther away from the beast, Rae motioned for them to leave in a forceful tone. "Get to a safe place, I'll be fine. Go, go now!" She commanded, hearing the rip of fabric as it escaped from its temporary containment. The battered sheet fell to the ground in shreds, a pair of acidic green cat-like eyes glaring at her from across the clearing. Rae met that glare, returning a fierce cold stare. This had to end. Now.

With a full force run and tackle, Rae had it pinned long enough to retrieve her pole which was now slightly bent. A guttural growl told her this battle was going to be different. It was learning fast about her tricks, and catching up in speed to match how fast she was. Unfortunately, its massive bulk took a heavy toll on just how fast it could move, which put Rae at a slight advantage. Speed wasn't going to be enough. She had to fight. Pole at the ready, she circled it slowly, watching every move it made to carefully study what it would do. It lunged a giant green fist at her and she quickly knocked it away with the pole. Another swing and a miss. It had certainly gotten faster since the last fight, almost to a point where Rae was having a hard time keeping up. _'If he hits me, I'm done..no matter how fast he is, I gotta be right on top of it..' _The last contact had finally snapped the flimsy metal rod in half. Taking the opportunity, the creature threw itself towards her, coming into full force contact and dragging her into the ground. Plump fingers now wrapped around her throat, as if trying to strangle her. It got to it's feet - stumbling slightly – and held Rae up a few feet off the ground, dangling by her neck. The fingers tightened as she wriggled, trying to break free. In a hasty comeback, Rae swung her lower body up and plunged her feet into its face. It immediately let go, fumbling backward and rubbing it's face. Strong, fast, but not so smart. Rae had a coughing fit, but in doing so, noticed it having trouble regaining balance on its tiny legs. Thinking on her feet, she thought she could use that to her advantage. If she could knock out its knees, she could get away. An intense roar sounded as the creature regained its composure, starting to charge at Rae. The black long-barrel revolver slowly pointed its nose towards the being's slimy knee, and with a loud crack and a cloud of smoke, the raging beast slid into the musty earth with a thundering thud. _'I'm sorry..but my destiny doesn't end with you my angry friend..'_ With that, Rae holstered her revolver and turned on her heel, only to be met with a swift, hard pack of knuckles.

In less than a second, a needle prick had invaded her backside as she lay face down in what felt like a medical stretcher. A tight restraint kept her from moving her arms and legs, but Rae's head turned to her right just before she was hoisted into the air. Sherry had been running towards her as two men held her back, the faint letters B-S-A-A on an arm patch were dimly lit by a helicopter's search light. Noise was slowly becoming nonexistent, fading along with her eye sight. A heavy wave of fatigue was overtaking her, and she drifted off slowly, then hum of a an engine and propeller lulling her to sleep.

A sobbing Sherry had been clinging to Claire the entire ride home, with Claire glaring disappointingly at Barry who had been sitting across from them. Sherry had calmed down once they explained to her they were going to meet the other helicopter there. Her heart sank as she fought to hold the blonde back while they captured Rae, almost wanting to let her go. As for the well-being of her guardian, Claire hadn't the slightest idea of what the BSAA wanted to do with her. For the first time in a while, she was afraid not knowing the outcome. Seeing the young women resting soundly against her shoulder, Claire cleared her throat to get Barry's attention, giving him an accusing stare.

Barry felt those cold eyes pierce his soul, looking away before making eye contact. "What did you want me to do Claire?" He asked softly, giving her an apologetic look. "After attacking those men, what argument could I have possibly had to fight her case?"

"She was protecting her.." Claire counterclaimed, narrowing her eyes at him. "Don't you find it a little odd, Barry, that they arrested us as soon as we walked into their outpost?" Claire had been stewing that question ever since they were picked up. Tricell didn't ask about any survivors, nor if they were alright. It seemed too odd to ignore.

He had to admit, she was right. They were bordering apprehensive, as if they were hiding something. It wasn't as if Rae was defensive to everyone. Something about them made her react the way she did, and attack those men. She knew something they didn't. Barry figured that from the very start, that she knew more than she was letting on. A knot formed in the pit of his gut, like he'd made a very bad decision and had to somehow find a way out of it. The BSAA would surely eliminate Rae, seeing as how she mortally wounded two men and had eye-witness accounts of inhuman behavior. Another question had been plaguing his thoughts. If Tricell wanted her dead, why hadn't they killed her when they had the chance? The whole realization made him want to chuckle, but he suppressed it, not wanting to laugh in front of Claire. She was just like him. _'Always second-guessing authority, aren't we, Redfield?'_Thoughts of Chris soon surfaced memories of that mission – the one that had started it all. He couldn't help but wonder. "What if she's another Wesker?"

It was as if all the feeling had died instantly. Both of them sat expressionless, staring at each other. Something they hadn't thought about had caught them off guard. Claire had witnessed her power first hand, and it was astounding. What else was she capable of? The unsettling thought dragged along with it the hope she had left, as both started to slowly drain from her. _'Wait..'_ She'd saved Claire twice, and from what Barry said, she'd saved him as well. If she'd had the same intentions as Wesker, why would she be helping his enemies? It didn't add up at all. Claire narrowed her glance, reviving it from the floor and looking back at Barry, a hint of determination in her eyes. "She's not Wesker. She can't be.."

The truth in her gaze was thoroughly convincing. As Barry thought more about it, he slowly nodded, a sense of uneasiness settling in his gut. He heaved a heavy sigh, and returned his glance to the young blonde woman sleeping soundly against Claire's shoulder. "I sure hope you're right.."


End file.
